Opposition parties in Latvia have seized on culturally divisive issues to garner support ahead of the parliamentary elections in October 2026, New Eastern Europe reports. Earlier, the Latvian parliament, the Saeima, voted to withdraw from the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention on preventing violence against women. Opposition parties claim that the human rights treaty is…
Estonia ranked highest in the Baltic States on the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) World Press Freedom Index in 2026, BNS reported. Estonia ranked 3rd on the global index of 180 countries and territories surveyed, which was down from 2nd place in 2025. Meanwhile, Lithuania ranked 15th (14th), and Latvia stood in 17th (15th) place. Estonia…
Estonia’s state-owned postal services provider, Eesti Post (Omniva), generated total revenues of EUR 154.7mn in 2025, which was up EUR 13.3mn (9%) from 2024, ERR reports. Revenue from parcel and courier services amounted to EUR 109.4mn (up 13%), from postal services to EUR 38.6mn (down slightly), and from universal postal services to EUR 7.6mn (down…
Over 10,000 people in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, protested outside the parliament, the Seimas, on 8 April 2026 against proposed changes to legislation governing the country’s public broadcaster, Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT), BNS reported. The demonstration was organised by the Association of Professional Journalists (ZPA). Nevertheless, Seimas speaker Juozas Olekas insisted that the…
The Lithuanian government is pressing ahead with legislative proposals that would impose political control over the country’s public broadcaster, Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT), LRT reports. Earlier, opposition MPs as well as representatives of the Lithuanian Association of Professional Journalists (ZPA) and LRT staff withdrew in protest from a parliamentary working group set up…
Latvia’s state-owned postal services provider, Latvijas Pasts, has submitted a new tariff plan for universal postal services to the Public Utilities Commission (SPRK), LETA reports. The company plans to raise tariffs on the domestic delivery of letters, parcels, and press publications as well as for cross-border postal services as of 2025. Latvijas Pasts said that…
Estonia rose two places to 6th place in the 2024 World Press Freedom Index of Reporters Without Borders (RSF), BNS reports. Estonia scored 86.44 points on the index, which was up from 85.31 points in 2023. Latvia ranked 12th (16th) with 82.9 (83.27) points and Lithuania 13th (7th) with 81.73 (86.79) points.
Estonia’s daily newspapers, Eesti Päevaleht and Postimees, strongly criticised in their editorials on 5 July 2023 the Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority’s (TTJA) proposed legislation to monitor the truthfulness, impartiality, and balance of news programmes, ERR reports. Both editorials strongly rejected the notion of state intervention in media, emphasising the importance of media freedom…
Estonia has succeeded Canada as the co-chair of the Media Freedom Coalition (MFC), which is a partnership of countries advocating for media freedom and safety of journalists worldwide, ERR reports. The chair of the coalition rotates among member states on a biannual basis. Estonia joined MFC in September 2019. Estonia ranks in the top 10…