Lithuania’s opposition Homeland Union called on the ruling Social Democratic Party of Lithuania (LSDP) to cancel plans to abolish the country’s Desovietisation and Denazification Commission, LRT reports. Under the plan, responsibility for removing Soviet-era names and monuments would revert to municipalities. Homeland Union argued that the proposal would halt Lithuania’s decommunisation process, making Lithuania more…
The EU should make the implementation of a global minimum corporate income tax voluntary or abolish the tax altogether for small countries like Estonia, Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi insisted, ERR reported. He noted that the EU had made the global minimum tax mandatory for member states through a directive, which he said placed EU businesses…
The Baltic States will receive “special favour” from the United States in the future for being “model allies” who prioritise their own defence, US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth stated, ERR reports. The three Baltic countries have pledged to allocate 5% of their GDP to defence over the coming years. Allies that “fail to do…
Lithuania has asked the European Commission (EC) to help release Lithuanian trucks detained in neighbouring Belarus, BNS reports. Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys and Transport Minister Juras Taminskas urged the EC to draw up a coherent action plan to support EU haulage companies. Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene said that around 280 Lithuanian trucks were stuck in…
The Latvian parliament, the Saeima, has approved amendments raising the excise taxes on alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, and sweetened beverages as of 2026, BNS reports. The aim is to reduce the consumption of products that are harmful to the environment and health, LSM reports. The excise duty on strong alcoholic beverages will rise as of…
Estonia hopes to receive around EUR 6bn more from than it pays to the EU’s budget for 2028-2034, Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi said, ERR reports. Under the current budget proposal, Estonia would contribute EUR 4.8bn to the EU’s next multiannual financial framework. Estonia’s national allocation would amount to EUR 6.5bn and funds awarded competitively to…
The Lithuanian parliament, the Seimas, must impeach MP Remigijus Zemaitaitis, leader of the far-right Dawn of Nemunas (PPNA) party, if an appeals court upholds a lower court ruling finding him guilty of antisemitic hate speech, opposition leaders stated, Lietuvos Rytas reports. Saulius Skvernelis, chairman of the Union of Democrats for Lithuania (DSVL), and Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen,…
Estonia does not support banning young people from accessing social media, Estonia’s Justice and Digital Affairs Minister, Liisa Pakosta, announced, ERR reports. Earlier, the European Parliament proposed setting an EU-wide age limit on social media platforms. Under the plan, children could use social media from the age of 13 with parental consent and independently from…
Lithuania’s Interior Ministry has proposed declaring a nationwide state-level emergency in response to an increased incursion of smuggler balloons from neighbouring Belarus into Lithuanian airspace, BNS reports. The government is expected to decide on the proposal next week. According to the Interior Ministry, altogether 599 smuggler balloons and 197 drones have entered Lithuanian airspace so…