Around 50 members of the Lithuanian parliament, the Seimas, have proposed holding a popular referendum on redefining the concept of family in the country’s constitution, LRT reports. The MPs argue that the Constitutional Court exceeded its authority when ruling that the concept of family was gender-neutral and not exclusive to married couples, and that limiting…
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…
Nearly a half (48.2%) of Latvians felt in good or very good health in 2025, which was up from 35.1% in 2005, according to the Central Statistical Bureau (CSP), LSM reports. The survey data showed that 43.7% of Latvian residents aged 16 years and older rated their health as good and 4.5% as very good….
Authorities in Latvia and Lithuania have opened investigations into information in documents related to the convicted US sex trafficker, Jeffrey Epstein. The documents contain hundreds of references to Latvia and Lithuania, including indications that Epstein’s associates had recruited young women and children for sexual exploitation through local modelling agencies, LETA and LRT reported. Latvia’s State…
Newly released documents connected to the convicted US human trafficker, Jeffrey Epstein, include numerous mentions related to the Baltic States. Several documents refer to travel arrangements to Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, Estonian World reports. Many messages refer, often in sexualised context, to women that Epstein or his associates had met in the Baltic States. Latvia…
As many as 15% of Lithuanians have given a monetary bribe or other form of compensation for medical services in recent years, according to a Baltijos Tyrimai poll for LRT. Meanwhile, around 75% of respondents said that they had not bribed medical staff. Another 9% said that they had not visited a medical facility at…
Gender equality in Lithuania improved in 2025, according to the European Institute for Gender Equality’s (EIGE) Gender Equality Index, BNS reports. Lithuania ranked 14th out of 27 EU member states, which was up from 16th place in 2024. Lithuania’s national score on the equality index was 60.9 out of 100 points, which was below the…
Gender equality in Latvia worsened sharply in 2025, according to the European Institute for Gender Equality’s (EIGE) Gender Equality Index, LETA reports. Latvia ranked 24th out of 27 EU member states on the index in 2025, which was down from 19th place in 2024. Latvia scored 56.7 points on gender equality, which was down from…
Latvia’s Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS) has called on its coalition partner, New Unity, to support withdrawing from the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention on combating violence against women and domestic violence, LETA reports. ZZS argued that a case of alleged inappropriate behaviour by a foreign worker towards a minor in Liepaja demonstrated that…