Baltic Roundup: November 2023

November 2023

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent four buses to Ukraine on November 17, 2023 for support to humanitarian efforts ahead of winter.  (Flickr | Estonian Foreign Ministry)

Dear readers, 

With holiday preparations in full swing, let's take a look back at November in the Baltic states.

POLITICS

Latvia's Saeima passed with narrow majorities changes to legislation that creates a legal framework for civil partnerships, including same-sex couples. However, Edgars Rinkēvičs — Latvia's first openly gay president — was obliged to put changes on hold after a request from opposition MPs. This could put civil partnerships up for a referendum. And, after years of heated debate, the Saeima has also voted to ratify the Istanbul Convention, which Latvia signed in 2016. This leaves Lithuania as one of the few remaining countries in Europe not to have taken similar steps on either issue. 

Lithuania's Court of Appeals sentenced former politicians and businessmen to years in prison and issued more than 1 million euros in fines to MG Group and political parties in a ruling on one of the most resonant political corruption cases in the country, known as the MG Baltic scandal. Major figures have appealed the case to the Supreme Court. 

SECURITY

Estonian officials are upping barriers around the Narva border crossing. They accuse Russia of pushing migrants to the border and are considering following Finland's lead to close the border entirely. Lithuania will evaluate 800 individuals with citizenship granted by exception to determine if they pose a threat to national security. Vehicles with Russian registrations will be banned from Latvian roads by Valentine's Day. Unregistered vehicles will be confiscated and transferred to Ukraine.

Lithuanian, Latvian, and Estonian foreign ministers boycotted the Skopje meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe over the attendance of Russia's Sergey Lavrov. Leaders of Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland also sat out a photo session at COP28 over the inclusion of Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka.

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

For the Baltic Bulletin, Thomas Shattuck discusses Estonia's decision to allow Taiwan to open an unofficial, non-diplomatic economic and cultural representative office in Tallinn. Lithuania sparked controversy and backlash from China after opening an analogous office in Vilnius in 2021. However, Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis may now be looking to normalize relations with Beijing. New Eastern Europe looks at China's relationship with the broader region in its latest issue.

Latvia launched its candidacy for a seat on the UN Security Council for 2026-27. Krišjānis Kariņš, former prime minister and current minister of foreign affairs, is throwing his hat into the ring to be the next NATO Secretary-General. But like his Estonian counterpart Kaja Kallas, a scandal may threaten his bid.

In an op-ed for Time, Kaja Kallas urged Europe to take the lead on AI regulation and warned against kowtowing to Big Tech after Germany, France, and Italy pushed back against proposed rules. The need for enforceable safety measures does not stifle innovation, she argues. “My own country, Estonia is bound by the exact same EU rules and regulations as Germany, yet has a vibrant and thriving startup ecosystem.”

Lithuania's Jovita Neliupšienė, incoming EU ambassador to the US, is featured in Politico's annual ranking of the most influential people in Europe. The German Council on Foreign Relations says time is ticking for NATO's Eastern Flank to deter Russia's imperial ambitions. Historian Timothy Snyder offers his perspective on Russia's war in Ukraine.

Aitäh, paldies and ačiū,

Indra Ekmanis
Baltic Bulletin Editor

CALL FOR ARTICLES 
 

FPRI invites article contributions for the Baltic Bulletin. We are particularly interested in pieces covering NATO, support for Ukraine, cybersecurity, and domestic politics. We welcome pitches at iekmanis@fpri.org.

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT

Estonia Catches Taiwan Fever: What Will the Side Effects Be?
Thomas J. Shattuck

"In early November 2023, Estonia announced a decision to allow Taiwan to open an unofficial, non-diplomatic economic and cultural representative office in Tallinn."

Catch up on recent episodes of the Baltic Ways podcast.
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