Wednesday, December 11, 2019
The Lithuanian government on Monday backed the amended 2020 state and municipal budget bill and will now put the proposals before the parliament. The new bill allocates €10.3 million in additional funding for salaries of education assistance specialists, additional €15.6 million for teachers’ salaries, €4.6 million for lecturers and scientists’ salaries, €11.2 million for salaries of preschool education workers, and €6.4 million for culture and art workers. Doctors will receive…
Estonia has been more successful in countering Russian espionage than any other NATO or EU nation, according to a November 2019 report by the Estonian International Centre for Defence and Security. Based on public data, Estonia has convicted 20 people for various espionage activities, with sentences ranging from around two to 16 years behind bars. While many states conduct counter-espionage activities away from public eyes, Estonia has decided to…
Lithuania is set to reach the NATO spending threshold next year. However, Lithuania’s 2020 state budget bill, amended by the country’s government, stipulates a drop in defence funding by 10 million euros after the country’s growth estimates were changed in November. 1.017 billion euros is allocated for defence in the amended budget bill submitted to the Seimas on Monday, down from 1.027 billion euros planned earlier. The bill for…
Although the population of Lithuania is just under 3 million, numerous celebrities have Lithuanian heritage. From talented musicians to famous actors, authors, and even a fictional character thrown in for good measure, Lithuanians rank among some of the world’s most recognized stars. Some of the 12 celebrities included on this list just may take you by surprise! Laurence Harvey Born in Joniskes, Lithuania in 1929 to a Jewish family, Laurence…
Lithuanian Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis says he sees no reason to sack the embattled minister of transport following the president’s calls for his resignation. Jaroslav Narkevič has been heavily criticised by the opposition over a number of issues and the president has indicated he is unhappy with the minister’s performance . Skvernelis, who was on a sick leave last week, said on Monday he wouldn’t make any rush decisions that…
Following a warning strike by teachers, the Lithuanian government and four trade unions signed an amended collective agreement on Monday. Staff and teachers at some Lithuanian schools held a warning two-hour strike last week after the government had allocated over 55 million euros for education in the 2020 budget, despite an agreement signed in July promising 117 million euros for the next year. The new collective agreement was signed on…
Estonia has become the presiding country of the Baltic Assembly (BA), taking over for the next year from Latvia at the conclusion of the 38th session of the Assembly in Riga. The Baltic Assembly presidency is held on the principle of rotation. The Head of the Estonian delegation to the BA Aadu Must said that traditions and mutual trust have helped the Assembly to make this form of cooperation an extremely efficient means…
The majority of Latvian Russian speakers are proud to live in Latvia, according to survey data from the company Latvian Facts, which was included in a study by Researcher Ieva Bērziņa for the National Defence Academy of Latvia (NDAL) Center for Defence Research. The survey, conducted this year, asked respondents whether they feel proud to live in Latvia. 61% of Latvian residents, where the family speaks Russian, said that as…
EU’s newly sworn-in foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said in an interview with the Spanish daily El Pais that Russia is “a very divisive” issue among the member states. According to the High Representative of the Union, the de facto EU foreign minister, “some countries are very reluctant to embark on a normalisation of relations with Russia and others would like to do so”. His words came on the heels…
Jonas Vytautas Žukas, Lithuania’s former chief of defence and the chief adviser to President Gitanas Nausėda on national security, was involved in a car accident on Monday morning, the police has confirmed to BNS. He sustained minor injuries and was taken to hospital for tests. The delfi.lt has reported that the accident took place near Vilnius when Žukas’ Subaru collided with an Audi. Ramūnas Matonis, a spokesman for the police,…
