Latvia has over 223,000 pupils studying in schools of general education in the academic year 2025/2026, TV3 reports. However, due to the country’s demographic decline, the number of schoolchildren may drop to fewer than 200,000 by 2030. By 2040, the number may fall to a little over 120,000, which would be more than 40% fewer…
Latvia’s current coalition government has a 52-vote majority in the parliament, the Saeima, Prime Minister Evika Silina stated, pointing to the parliament’s approval of the 2026 state budget, LETA reports. Speaking in an interview with TV3, Silina noted that none of the coalition parties had expressed no-confidence in each other and no minister had needed to…
A company connected to a former officer of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) gained access to sensitive information about Lithuania’s Klaipeda State Seaport, according to an international media investigation, BNS reports. Ukraine’s Centre of Journalistic Investigations (TsZhR), in collaboration with Lithuania’s 15min and Latvia’s TV3, found that Andrey Shkrabo, a former FSB officer, headed the…
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…
There can be no lasting peace in Ukraine without the US, Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics stated, LETA reports. Speaking in an interview with TV24, he noted that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump clearly had serious differences of opinion. However, the most important thing at the moment was not to exacerbate the…
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda called for a quick review of restrictions on the export of dual-use goods, BNS reports. Earlier, Economy Minister Lukas Savickas proposed relaxing the restrictions urgently. The previous government banned the export by air of several goods that Russia could use in its war against Ukraine to most third countries. Speaking in…
The possible closure of the Baltic Sea should “remain on the table,” Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics stated, LETA reports. Speaking in an interview with TV3, Rinkevics addressed the issue of protecting critical infrastructure, stressing the need to increase patrols and impose sanctions on Russia’s shadow fleet. However, he noted that almost 2,000 vessels travel through…
Latvian ministers informally discussed the possibility of cancelling the Rail Baltica railway project but decided against such a move, Prime Minister Evika Silina revealed, LETA reports. Speaking in an interview with TV3, Silina said that the government concluded that abandoning the project would result in a significant loss of invested resources. Moreover, the project will…
Latvia’s opposition United List will not try to topple the current coalition government for now, Edgars Tavars, chairman of the party’s parliamentary group, said, LETA reports. Speaking in an interview with TV3, Tavars noted that Prime Minister Evika Silina’s government had a “slight advantage” of votes in the parliament, the Saeima. Tavars said that United…
