European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen held talks in Helsinki on Friday with Prime Minister Sanna Marin (SDP). The two met at the prime minister’s residence to discuss issues including the security situation in Europe. Speaking briefly to reporters outside afterwards, they stressed the importance of maintaining a dialogueContinue Reading
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda on Thursday suggested raising the non-taxable personal income threshold to 510 euros, from the current 460 euros, as part of measures to help people cope with high inflation. “This is a measure aimed at people with the lowest incomes; it is a targeted and purposeful measure,”Continue Reading
Nearly two-thirds of respondents to a recent poll said they were dissatisfied with the work of Prime Minister Kaja Kallas (Reform), while over half disapproved of the way the government as a whole has been working. These results, from a survey conducted by pollsters Norstat on behalf of conservative think-tankContinue Reading
Compared to the pre-pandemic period, Estonians’ satisfaction with their quality of life has fallen from 73 percent to 65 percent, which is the smallest decrease in the Baltics, a news survey by EY consultants shows. The decline was steeper in Latvia from 73 percent to 60 percent, and from 71Continue Reading
Voter support for the opposition Finns Party has nosedived in Yle’s latest monthly survey. The Riikka Purra-led party received 15 percent backing in the parliamentary election poll, a drop of 3.3 percentage points from the last comparable survey. However, the party remained in third place overall, although it has fallenContinue Reading
Lithuanian-led Cyber Rapid Response Team (CRRT) might be involved in supporting Ukraine, Vice Minister of National Defense Margiris Abukevicius says. The Ministry of National Defense reported on Wednesday that an annual CRTT meeting, marking the start of the 2022 rotation, was held earlier this week. According to the vice minister,Continue Reading
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Saturday that the country is considering stationing another 900 troops and new weapons in Estonia. This would mean the UK doubling the number of troops it has in Estonia. The Brits are currently in charge of a NATO battle group in Estonia madeContinue Reading
The Lithuanian government will propose to temporarily apply a zero VAT rate to district heating for households as heating bills have soared to record highs this season, Finance Minister Gintare Skaiste said on Tuesday. The measure would cost the state budget around 23 million euros. “The current reduced 9 percentContinue Reading
Notions of “spheres of influence” have no place in the 21st century, Lithuania’s ambassador Rytis Paulauskas said at the UN Security Council meeting on Monday, amid mounting fears of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “Times of limited sovereignty in Europe are long gone. Notions of ‘spheres of influence’ have no placeContinue Reading
The prime ministers of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania will meet on Friday to discuss coordinating the easing of coronavirus restrictions in the Baltic states, Latvian Prime Minister Krišjanis Karinš has said. Latvia wants to develop a strategy to start lifting restrictions this month, public broadcaster LSM reported on Tuesday. KarinšContinue Reading