Latvia’s Supreme Court has annulled the Riga Regional Court’s decision to acquit all defendants in the so-called second digital TV criminal case, LETA reports. The defendants include former transport minister Ainars Slesers, chairman of the populist Latvia First (LPV) party, former prime minister, prominent businessman Andris Skele, as well as several former executives at the…
Lithuania’s ruling Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP) remained the country’s most popular political party in May 2026, according to a new Baltijos Tyrimai poll for ELTA. LSDP’s support stood at 13%, which was up from 12.4% in April 2026. The opposition conservative Homeland Union (TS-LKD) came in second with 12.3% (11.4%), followed by the Lithuanian…
The Lithuanian government’s job approval continued to decline in May 2026, according to a new Spinter Tyrimai poll for DELFI, BNS reports. The survey showed that just 16.7% of respondents approved of the government’s performance, which was down from 17.5% in April 2026. Only 2.1% (1.5%) had a fully positive and 14.6% (16%) had a…
Reports in Lithuania suggest that Mindaugas Sinkevicius, chairman of the ruling Social Democratic Party of Lithuania (LSDP), may replace Inga Rugininene as the country’s prime minister, ELTA reports. LSDP is currently negotiating with the opposition Union of Democrats for Lithuania (DSVL) on forming a new coalition government together with the joint parliamentary group of the…
Estonia’s populist opposition Conservative People’s Party of Estonia (EKRE) has reelected MP Martin Helme as the party’s chairman, ERR reports. He was the sole candidate. The party congress adopted a statement saying that Estonia’s current political system and institutions had retreated from protecting the constitutional ideal of a nation-state. Estonia must reassert its national sovereignty,…
The council of the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania (LSDP) has decided to end its coalition agreement with the far-right populist party, Dawn of Nemunas (PPNA), LRT reports. LSDP will instead begin negotiations with the opposition Union of Democrats for Lithuania (DSVL) on forming a new ruling coalition. LSDP chairman Mindaugas Sinkevicius stated that Lithuanian…
Estonia’s northeastern border city of Narva now has two rival city council chairmen and two rival mayors, ERR reports. Earlier, the opposition Estonian Centre Party and populist Plan B movement gained a majority in the city council and decided to convene a city council meeting on their own, given that the incumbent chairman, Mihhail Stalnuhhin,…
The Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP) will decide in early June 2026 whether to continue in the current ruling coalition, the party’s chairman, Mindaugas Sinkevicius, announced, BNS reported. Besides LSDP, the coalition includes the far-right populist Dawn of Nemunas (PPNA), the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union (LVZS), and the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania…
Estonia’s Finance Minister, Jürgen Ligi, vowed to defend budget discipline and push back against populist spending proposals ahead of the parliamentary elections in March 2027, ERR reported. Ligi said that the country’s political culture had deteriorated badly, and acknowledged that populism had crept into his own Estonian Reform Party as well. He insisted on the…
