Baltic States
Estonia’s “rat king” to be exhibited at University of Tartu Natural History Museum
A "rat king" is a collection of rats whose tails are intertwined and bound together, either with hair or sticky substances or by getting tied together.
Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins set to form second government
The ethnic Russian Harmony Party – winner of the 2010, 2014 and 2018 parliamentary elections – has crashed out of parliament because of its ambivalent position on the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
bneGREEN: Fit for 55 – not fit for purpose
The EU’s Fitfor55 efforts to reduce CO2 emissions by 55% by 2030 are woefully inadequate and unable to contain global warming to the 1.5°C target, with reductions of up to 77% needed instead to stand any chance of averting a climate catastrophe.
More pain stored up for Emerging Europe in 2023
Government efforts to shield populations from the energy crisis and rampant inflation have shifted the economic impact to next year, says the EBRD as it downgrades GDP growth forecasts for 2023.
Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins set to benefit from hardline stance on Ukraine war
Baltic state's election campaign has been dominated by the cost of living crisis and Russia's invasion.
EBRD: Reduced gas supplies and inflation to slow growth further in EBRD regions
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) projects growth in its region will slow as a result of gas supply problems that are feeding an energy crisis. The bank says growth will slow to 2.3% in 2022 in its region and 3% in 2023.
BRUEGEL: National policies to shield consumers from rising energy prices
The current increase in wholesale energy prices in Europe has prompted governments to try to shield consumers from the direct impact of an energy crisis that is sweeping the Continent and the rising prices that are costing hundreds of billions.
ING: Eurozone PMI suggests the region may already be in recession
The third decline in a row for the eurozone PMI indicates that business activity has been contracting throughout the quarter. This confirms our view that a recession could have already started.
Nuclear power's share dropped to record low in OECD, but solar jumped to record highs thanks to hot summer
Germany’s decision to take its nuclear power plants offline, coupled with production problems with France’s NPPs, saw the share of nuclear power in the OECD countries year to date fall to its lowest level ever, but solar boomed.
ING: ECB hikes by a historic 75bp, more hikes in the works
The European Central Bank has decided on the largest rate hike since the start of the monetary union and has given the impression that it is fully determined to do more on September 7.
Eastern EU governments under pressure to act on rising living costs
Discontent is growing in Central and Southeast European countries that are suffering the highest inflation in the EU, pumped up by soaring food and energy prices.
bneGREEN: Baltic states – except Russia – agree to aim for seven-fold increase in offshore wind
The heads of governments and energy ministers of the eight countries surrounding the Baltic Sea, apart from Russia, have committed to new volumes of offshore wind.
Poland and Baltic states threaten to impose unilateral ban on Russian tourists
Five EU states demand informal summit agrees measures that would “decisively decrease the flow of Russian citizens into the European Union and the Schengen area”.
An EU visa ban on Belarusians risks playing right into Lukashenko's hands
As several EU countries want to increase visa restrictions for Russians, Belarusians risk getting caught in the crossfire, and in today's geopolitical climate it becomes ever more important to differentiate between a Russian and Belarusian passport.
Riga topples largest Soviet monument in Baltic states
Monument to the Liberators of Soviet Latvia and Riga from the German Fascist Invaders becomes the latest memorial to fall in the Baltic states in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine
bneGREEN: Europe’s once-in-500-year drought threatens energy, food security
Europe is facing its worst drought for 500 years, as the European Commission has warned that nearly half of the EU’s territory faces severe water shortages in August, as climate change has caused low rainfall levels and record-high temperatures.
IMF cuts Latvian growth forecast for next year by 1.5pp to 2.5%
Further intensification of the war in Ukraine and stricter sanctions against Russia could lead to yet more prolonged disruptions in Latvia’s trade and finance, as well as a disruption of gas supplies.
Emerging Europe’s suicide hotspots
A cluster of countries in the former Soviet Union have some of the highest suicide rates in the world.
Lukashenko wants to ”punish” Lithuania
The Minsk regime is doing everything in its power to legitimise its right to export through EU ports without co-operating with the EU. In its latest gambit, the regime promises to exert “punishment” on “unfriendly states.”
Latvia to restrict the reissuance of residence permits for Belarusians
As several EU countries have recently imposed or plan to impose strong restrictions on the issuance of Schengen visas to Russians, Belarusians are also facing restricted access to visas to the EU.
