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Adobe Stock / vladimirfloyd

A lot of news in the East: NATO combat brigades for the Baltic States

6 countries - 2 ways - 1 common purpose: Scaling the trip wire to heavy ordnance

Russia's expanded and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine since February 2022 continues to determine NATO's course. While the response to the vaguely formulated Ukrainian membership perspective in NATO varied widely after the recent summit in Vilnius, the allies' positioning against Russia's aggression is supported by a broad consensus. Both, the measures agreed upon by the allies in the summits' communiqué and further bilateral agreements reached in recent months, leave no doubt: NATO partners stand together.

Andreas Geyer, Oliver Morwinsky
August 21, 2023
Country reports
Reuters / Ints Kalnins

Presidential Elections in Latvia

A Choice for Unity

On May 31, 2023, the Latvian Saeima elected Edgars Rinkēvičs, a long-time minister The election required at least 51 of the 100 votes cast by Saeima deputies.

Oliver Morwinsky, Daiga Krieva
June 5, 2023
Country reports
IMAGO / Scanpix

Forming a government in Estonia

Difficult start for cabinet Kallas III

On April 10, the newly elected parliament (XV Riigikogu) in Estonia convened for the first time. The 13 ministries are divided between Reform Party (7 ministries), Estonia 200 (3 ministries) and the Social Democratic Party (3 ministries). In the process, 7 ministers from the previous government will accompany a ministerial post. Five ministries will be headed by women, eight by men.

Oliver Morwinsky, Sveta Pääru, Emely Keyn
April 19, 2023
Country reports
Unsplash / Mantas Bytautas

Local elections in Lithuania

Success in the capital, loss in the countryside

Local elections were held in Lithuania on March 5, 2023. The final runoff elections were held on March 19, 2023. Sixteen political parties and 32 political committees participated in the voting. Their representatives competed for the 1,498 municipal council seats and 60 mayoral seats. Voter turnout was 48.97 percent, a slight increase. The Lithuanian Social Democratic Party emerged as the winner of the local elections. The capital Vilnius was won by the Christian Democrats. Party leader Landsbergis is no longer running for party chairman.

Oliver Morwinsky, Fausta Šimaitytė, Emely Keyn
April 5, 2023
Country reports

Parliamentary elections in Estonia 2023: Tailwind for Kaja Kallas - but how stable is the country?

Estonian reform party wins elections with 31.1 percent

At the beginning of March, a new parliament was elected in Estonia. The election campaign was largely determined by the war in Ukraine and security policy issues. The Estonian Reform Party won the elections with 31.1 per cent of the vote. Kaja Kallas, the party's leader and prime minister, was confirmed in office. However, the real winner of the election is Eesti 200, which will enter the Estonian parliament for the first time. Overall, voter turnout increased compared to the 2019 elections. Never before have so many votes been cast online as this year; a new method of calculating votes was also used for the first time. Politically, the result provides a basis for a possible deepening split in Estonian society - especially in the north-east of the country.

Oliver Morwinsky, Sveta Pääru
March 7, 2023
Country reports

The Three Baltic States: Political and Social Impact One Year After the Start of Russia's War of Aggression against Ukraine

Determination and unity

Russia's unprovoked war of aggression on Ukraine has led to great determination and unity in all three Baltic states.

Oliver Morwinsky, Daiga Krieva, Sveta Pääru, Fausta Simaityte
February 28, 2023
Country reports
Flickr / Saeima

Unterwegs auf neuen Pfaden mit Verfallsdatum?

Neue Regierung in Lettland bestätigt

Am 14. Dezember 2022, fast 3 Monate nach den Parlamentswahlen vom 2. Oktober, hat das lettische Parlament (Saeima) die neue Regierung vom amtierenden Ministerpräsidenten, Krišjānis Kariņš (“Jaunā Vienotība“, Neue Einheit, EVP) bestätigt (s. Annex). Jedoch steht diese unter keinem guten Stern.

Oliver Morwinsky, Daiga Krieva
December 19, 2022
Country reports

Parlamentswahlen in Lettland

Stabilität mit Überraschungseffekten

Die Parlamentswahlen in Lettland finden in turbulenten Zeiten statt. Die Auswirkungen des russischen Angriffskrieges auf die Ukraine haben auch Einfluss auf die Wahlentscheidung in Lettland. Die Partei des amtierenden Ministerpräsidenten findet zurück zu alter Stärke. Die russischsprachige Wählerschaft ist zersplittert. Zwei Drittel des Parlamentes besteht aus neuen Abgeordneten. Die Rückkehr zweier Oligarchen ins Parlament lässt aufhorchen. Die neue Regierung sollte im November stehen.

Oliver Morwinsky, Daiga Krieva, Una Spēlmane-Baumane, Ieva Jēkabsone, Jana Kalniņa
October 4, 2022
Country reports
Center for Data Innovation / flickr / CC BY 2.0

Neue Regierungskoalition – die Brücke zu den Wahlen im März 2023

Vorgezogene Regierungsumbildung in Estland

Am 14. Juli ist Kaja Kallas (Reformpartei, RE) von ihrem Amt der Ministerpräsidentin zurückgetreten. Am selben Tag hat Präsident Alar Karis ihr den Vorschlag gemacht, eine neue Koalition zu bilden. Am 15. Juli fand eine außerordentliche Sitzung statt, wo Kaja Kallas mit 52 Fürstimmen (26 dagegen) das Mandat zur Regierungsbildung bekommen hat. Die völlig neu zusammengesetzte Regierung besteht nunmehr bis zu den nächsten regulären Wahlen im März 2023. Das hat Folgen für den anstehenden Wahlkampf.

Oliver Morwinsky, Sveta Pääru
July 20, 2022
Country reports
unsplash / Norbert Braun

Brief: Germany, Russia, and Energy Politics

Fifth and final brief in the Germany and Baltic Security Series

Together with the ICDS-International Centre for Defence and Security, we introduce a collection of policy briefs titled “Germany and the Security of the Baltic States”. In this concluding brief Kalev Stoicescu examines Germany's relations with Russia, also taking into account energy dependence.

February 22, 2022
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