Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina has met with a visiting delegation from the Appropriations Committee of the US House of Representatives, LSM reports. The delegation was led by Congressman Tom Cole of Oklahoma and included congressmen Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida, Chuck Fleischmann of Tennessee, Chuck Edwards of North Carolina, and Jake Ellzey of Texas. The…
Estonia’s ruling coalition parties have agreed to introduce a new tax to fund national defence, ERR reports. Incoming prime minister Kristen Michal of the Estonian Reform Party stated that the tax would likely combine increases in VAT, income tax, and excise duties. The aim was to distribute the financial burden evenly across different societal groups,…
Estonia’s outgoing prime minister, Kaja Kallas, has picked Vivian Loonela, head of the European Commission’s representation in Estonia, as her chief of staff if she is confirmed as EU’s foreign policy chief, ERR reports. Before her current position, Loonela served as the head of the Estonian delegation at the European Commission. The European Parliament will…
Representatives from Lithuania’s five largest commercial banks — Citadele, Luminor, OP Corporate Bank, SEB Bank, and Swedbank — met with Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte to express dissatisfaction with the extension of the windfall tax on bank profits, BNS reports. They voiced concerns over the unpredictability of the investment environment and the lack of cooperation between…
Latvia’s ruling coalition will soon need to discuss “painful decisions” on taxes, Prime Minister Evika Silina stated, LETA reports. Speaking in an interview with TV3, Silina said that simplifying taxation was an important priority. The Ministry of Finance has developed potential proposals for changes on real estate tax, labour costs, corporate income tax, VAT, small…
Negotiations about possible changes to Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina’s government may resume at the end of summer 2024, with discussions about potentially expanding the coalition, LETA reports. Maris Kucinskis of the opposition United List confirmed the group’s interest in joining the government but only as a unified party. Agriculture Minister Armands Krauze acknowledged informal…
Estonia’s Minister of Climate, Kristen Michal, will replace Kaja Kallas as prime minister and chairman of the Estonian Reform Party, ERR reports. Kallas is due to resign after the NATO summit in Washington. The government will then be dissolved, and Michal will open talks on a coalition agreement. The current three-party coalition is likely to…
EU leaders have appointed Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas as the next High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, BNS reports. Kallas expressed her commitment to enhancing EU unity and addressing geopolitical challenges such as the war in Ukraine. She aims to strengthen the EU’s global partnerships and work closely with…
The free world must not fear its own strength, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas insisted, BNS reported. Speaking at a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, Kallas pointed out that the free world was stronger than Russia and had the resources, economic power, and knowledge to help Ukraine win the war against the…