Lithuania’s State Defence Council has decided to introduce universal military conscription in 2032, President Gitanas Nauseda announced, BNS reports. Universal conscription will apply to men ages 18 to 22 years, replacing the current selective draft. Women will still be able to volunteer for military service. Nauseda said that about 7,500 young men would be drafted…
Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs has begun official talks on forming a new government by meeting with leaders of his United List alliance and its current coalition partners, the National Alliance and New Unity, LETA reports. Kulbergs said that the parties had reached a consensus on improving public administration, reviewing ministry functions, and putting public…
Baltic officials were mostly critical of Finnish President Alexander Stubb’s and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre’s phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna insisted that “every contact with Russia must convey Europe’s unity and determination to support Ukraine and maintain pressure on Russia,” ERR reported. He called for increased…
Restoring Lithuania’s full diplomatic relations with communist China should not depend on the name of the Taiwanese Representative Office in Vilnius, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda stated, BNS reports. Speaking in an interview with Ziniu Radijas, Nauseda suggested restoring diplomatic representation on a lower level first, such as deputy heads of mission rather than ambassadors. He…
Baltic and Polish leaders urged the EU to allocate necessary funding for the Rail Baltica railway project under the EU’s multiannual financial framework in 2028-2034, the Office of the President of Lithuania reported. In a joint letter to European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the leaders reaffirmed the…
The secretary general of the Estonian Foreign Ministry, Jonatan Vseviov, announced that he would resign and run for parliament in elections due in March 2027, ERR reports. Vseviov will represent the opposition Social Democratic Party (SDE). SDE chairman Lauri Läänemets will propose that Vseviov be nominated as the party’s candidate for prime minister. Läänemets will…
Estonia’s opposition Estonian Centre Party and Social Democratic Party (SDE) overtook the national-conservative opposition party, Fatherland, in Emor’s latest monthly poll in October 2026, ERR reports. Support for the Centre Party rose to 20.6%, which was up from 16.9% in September 2026. SDE came in second with 20.4% (17.4%), followed by Fatherland with 19.4% (24.1%),…
The European Muslim League (EML) has expressed concern over anti-Muslim incidents in Lithuania, BNS reports. EML pointed to the possible public burning of a Quran in Vilnius and the disruption of Muslim prayer near a mosque in Kaunas. Mufti Aleksandras Beganskas, head of the Council of Muslim Religious Communities of Lithuania (LRMBT), cited threats to…
Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs has announced that his United List will begin talks on forming a new government with the party’s current coalition partners, the National Alliance and New Unity, LSM reports. United List will meet with leaders of the two other parties on 28 October 2026. The three parties have a combined 58…
