Nordics & Baltics

Norway raises terror threat level amid rising concerns over Israeli, Jewish targets
Est. 2minNorway will raise its threat level from moderate to high, namely because of the intensification of threats against Jewish and Israeli targets in the country, the Norwegian Police Security Service said on Tuesday.

Swedish far-right leader embroiled in gang-related controversy
Est. 3minThe leader of the far-right Sweden Democrats, Jimmie Akesson (SD, ECR), is now in hot water after a media investigation revealed that he allegedly knew the president of a motorcycle club with links to organised crime.

Lithuania pushes for ICC investigation of Belarusian Lukashenko
Est. 3minLithuania has called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate alleged crimes against humanity by the regime of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, including forced deportations, persecution of opposition supporters and inhumane treatment.

Iran ran special cyber op in Sweden last year, local authorities confirm
Est. 3minIran's security service carried out a special cyber operation against targets in Sweden last year, the country's prosecutor and security services revealed on Tuesday (24 September).

Finland doubly pleased by portfolio and vice-presidency
Est. 2minFinland celebrates double victory after appointment of MEP Henna Virkkunen to become Vice-President of the Commission and Commissioner for Technological Sovereignty, Security and Democracy.

Sweden and Finland to up cooperation to fight crime in Sweden
Est. 4minSweden and Finland have pledged to step up cooperation to fight organised crime in Sweden and its spill-over effects, including allowing police to cross borders, the two countries' governments said at a meeting in Sweden on Monday.

Lithuanian defence minister urges 4% of GDP for military expenditures
Est. 2minLithuanian Defence Minister Laurynas Kasčiūnas has called for an increase in defence spending to 4% of GDP, aiming to procure long-range air defence systems and other military equipment.

Sweden to lead next NATO headquarters in northern Finland
Est. 3minFinland has asked Sweden to take charge of a NATO headquarters in northern Finland to bolster defence against neighbouring Russia, Swedish and Finnish defence ministers announced on Monday (16 September).

Swedish coalition divided over remigration allowance
Est. 4minSweden's ruling coalition, halfway through its four-year term, faces a deepening division over the thorny issue of raising the voluntary remigration allowance, strongly criticised by the Liberal Party.

Swedish foreign minister with term marked by NATO accession resigns
Est. 3minSwedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström unexpectedly announced his resignation on Wednesday evening, halfway through a term marked by his country's accession to NATO, amid speculation of a rift between him and Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.

Finnish government to ban Russian property purchases
Est. 2minA law proposing that Russian citizens and entities be banned from buying property in Finland to minimise the security risk in times of crisis has been put forward by the Finnish Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen on Monday (2 September).

EU prosecutors probe former Lithuanian MEP in alleged fraud case
Est. 2minThe European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) is investigating former Lithuanian MEP Viktor Uspaskich for allegedly defrauding EU funds of more than half a million euros, widening a probe that previously focused on one of his assistants.

Sweden to raise fossil fuel reduction targets to level with EU climate goals
Est. 3minSweden will increase the proportion of biofuels blended with fossil fuels to meet the EU's 2030 climate targets, the government announced on Tuesday (27 August), reversing its previous policy.

Scandinavian ministers meet to tackle spillover of Swedish gang crime
Est. 3minSweden, Norway and Denmark want to step up regional cooperation to combat gang violence, the countries' justice ministers announced at a meeting in Copenhagen on Wednesday, as a surge in the involvement of minors in Swedish gang activity has the Nordic leaders concerned.

Lithuania to review potential for military training zones as demand rises
Est. 3minLithuania is set to expand its military training infrastructure, with the Defence Ministry considering the districts of Tauragė and Šilalė as potential sites for new training centres amid growing demand for military training.

Norway increasingly concerned by Swedish gangs
Est. 4minNorway is becoming increasingly concerned about Swedish criminal gangs, already known for their crimes in Denmark, where they operate throughout the country and are linked to a number of serious violent crimes.

Danish Prime minister’s attacker gets jail term, to be deported
Est. 3minA Danish court on Wednesday handed a Polish man a four-month prison sentence and ordered him deported for punching the country's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in June.

Baltics, Nordics, Poland to boycott Hungarian presidency
Est. 2minNorthern and Eastern EU countries will not send any minister to Hungary during the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the EU in protest with Viktor Orban’s rogue trip to Moscow.

Sweden nominates its first-ever centre-right EU commissioner
Est. 2minThe Swedish government has nominated Jessika Roswall as Sweden's next European Commissioner, making her the first member of Sweden's Moderate Party (EPP) to be so nominated, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson told a press conference on Monday.

‘Italy-style’ technocratic government in France likely to face challenges
Est. 4minWith no French party likely to secure a majority in the National Assembly after Sunday's votes, making coalition-building difficult, French President Emmanuel Macron's next option - forming an 'Italy-style' technocrat-led government - may be too difficult to achieve.

Swedish parliament divided over EU’s new controversial ‘chat control’ bill
Est. 4minSwedish politicians from all sides of the political spectrum have reacted strongly to a controversial but government-backed EU proposal to improve the detection and removal of child sexual abuse material in text communications.

Sweden adopts controversial US military cooperation agreement
Est. 3minFollowing a lengthy parliamentary debate, the bilateral military agreement between the USA and Sweden has been adopted by the majority of the Swedish Parliament, despite the concerns of the ecologist and far-left opposition about the transfer of nuclear weapons to Swedish soil.

Swedish opposition concerned as military deal with US reaches parliament
Est. 3minAs the Swedish parliament is expected to vote on a defence cooperation agreement that will give the US access to several Swedish military bases, the opposition and civil society have expressed concern about the deal’s vague wording on nuclear weapons that could be hosted on Swedish soil.

Estonia’s Kallas in turmoil after resignations over military budget
Est. 4minEstonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas has been involved in controversy after a senior Defence Ministry official resigned in protest at the Estonian government's inaction on the arms budget, which Kallas claims to have found out about through the press.