Thousands of people demonstrated in the centre of the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, against Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas on 8 July 2025, BNS reported. The protest rally was organised by the Democracy Forum and local activists. The demonstrators demanded answers from Paluckas on his current and past business dealings, an end to the current coalition with…
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier paid a working visit to Latvia on 8 July 2025, LSM reported. He held talks with Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics and Prime Minister Evika Silina. Steinmeier highlighted Germany’s special connection and historical and cultural ties with Latvia. Speaking about bilateral cooperation on security policy, he noted that Latvia was beginning to…
The Latvian government may have to take additional austerity measures to implement the ruling coalition’s policy priorities, Prime Minister Evika Silina stated, LETA reports. Earlier, ministries submitted proposals to cut altogether EUR 150mn in public sector spending in 2026. Speaking in an interview with TV3, Silina said that the sum might not be enough to…
Estonian entrepreneur Urmas Sõõrumaa has withdrawn his candidacy for mayor of Tallinn, ERR reports. Earlier, Sõõrumaa proposed forming a technocratic city government that would follow guidelines from the Estonian Reform Party and the Estonian Centre Party (Keskerakond) until the local elections in October 2025. Reform’s current coalition partner, the Social Democratic Party (SDE), accused Reform…
Lithuania’s State Tax Inspectorate (VMI) found no tax violations at a startup company co-owned by Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas, BNS reports. VMI initiated checks at battery system developer Garnis, of which Paluckas owns 49%, in June 2025, following a request from the chairman of the opposition Homeland Union, MP Laurynas Kasciunas. Earlier, the state-owned national…
The Estonian Reform Party and the Estonian Centre Party (Keskerakond) will topple Tallinn’s current city government next week, incumbent mayor Jevgeni Ossinovski of the Social Democratic Party (SDE) said, ERR reports. He accused Reform’s mayoral candidate, businessman Urmas Sõõrumaa, of holding token talks with other parties to obscure the party’s plan to form a new…
Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas has refused to subject himself to a vote of confidence in the parliament, the Seimas, BNS reports. Opposition MPs have demanded that the Prime Minister resign due to questions about his past business activities. Speaking after a “frank and sincere conversation” with President Gitanas Nauseda, Paluckas insisted that he continued…
Latvian ministries have submitted 250 proposals for spending cuts, Finance Minister Arvils Aseradens announced, LSM reports. Ministries have suggested cuts in remuneration, subsidies, goods and services, and other expenditure. The proposals would reduce public sector spending by EUR 150mn in 2026, the Finance Ministry estimated. The ministry targets cumulative spending cuts of up to EUR…
The Lithuanian fertiliser producer, Achema, may begin producing explosives, Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas announced, BNS reports. He was speaking after a meeting with representatives of Achema’s management. Earlier, Vidmantas Janulevicius, president of the Lithuanian Confederation of Industrialists (LPK), suggested converting some of the country’s large chemical plants to the production of explosives. Achema announced…