Vilnius, October 16 (ELTA) – Minister of Transport and Communications Juras Taminskas is considering running for Vilnius mayor in the 2027 municipal election. He intends to make a final decision “soon”.

“I do not know yet whether I will run. […] But I am thinking about it,” Taminskas told reporters.

The Social Democrat said he intended to decide “soon”, but added that this did not mean he would make the decision next week.

As previously reported by ELTA, incumbent Vilnius Mayor Valdas Benkunskas also says he is “thinking hard” about whether to seek a second term. Like Taminskas, the Conservative politician previously said he would decide in the near future.

Some political parties have already announced their candidates for Vilnius mayor. The Liberal Movement is nominating Simonas Gentvilas, the Freedom Party its leader and current Vilnius Deputy Mayor Vytautas Mitalas, and the National Alliance its leader Vytautas Sinica.

MP Artūras Zuokas has also announced that he will run for Vilnius mayor as an independent.

Vilnius City Council member Aleksandras Nemunaitis also plans to run. The People and Justice Union is nominating journalist and former television presenter Kristupas Krivickas.

The Lithuanian Regions Party, which has no seats in parliament, plans to field Violeta Fominienė-Salemonė, the founder of the Vardan Salininkų community group.

Municipal council and mayoral elections will be held on 7 March 2027.

Vilnius, October 16 (ELTA) – President Gitanas Nausėda doubts that Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s goal in the war against Ukraine is limited to capturing Donbas. According to the president, Moscow is seeking much more, while demands concerning Ukrainian territory may be merely a pretext to delay peace talks.

“I have very serious doubts that Putin’s goal is really Donbas. And it seems to me that more and more analysts, as well as politicians, agree that Putin’s aims are ultimately those he clearly demonstrated at the very beginning of the war,” Nausėda told reporters on Friday at the European Council meeting in Brussels.

The president recalled that at the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, the Kremlin’s aim was to capture the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. Although that goal was not achieved, he said, Moscow had not abandoned its initial ambitions.

“I get the impression that Donbas is a formal pretext for raising the issue of bringing all of Donbas under Russian control, knowing that the Ukrainians will not agree, and thus hiding behind this argument and saying: ‘Well, look, they do not agree, which means peace talks are impossible’,” the president said.

According to Nausėda, the Kremlin’s true aims concern not only the capture of territory but also hostility towards democratic states.

“The goals are actually broader. As I have said in the international media, they are less about territory than about challenging all of us, our way of life and our democratic freedoms,” the president said.
The president stressed that European countries must take greater responsibility for Ukraine’s ability to continue resisting Russian aggression.

“First and foremost, let us in Europe do more so that Ukraine can not only get through this winter but also withstand the fighting ahead,” Nausėda said.

Vilnius, October 16 (ELTA) – On 15 October, Minister of Foreign Affairs Kęstutis Budrys took part in the Vilnius Freedom Summit, a conference dedicated to protecting human rights defenders, supporting democratic movements and responding to growing cooperation between authoritarian regimes, said the Foreign Ministry.

Addressing the participants, the minister stressed that authoritarian regimes are increasingly coordinating their actions, not only by suppressing freedom of expression and civil society within their own countries, but also by persecuting opposition figures, human rights defenders and independent journalists beyond their borders. Budrys emphasised that democracies must act together to protect human rights and fundamental freedoms and support those who fight for them under repressive regimes.

“We must be honest with ourselves. The free world is under attack today. Bombs may not be falling everywhere, but authoritarian regimes are seeking to influence our societies, manipulate the information space and shape our future. Only by acting together, learning from one another and maintaining solidarity can we effectively stand up to authoritarianism and better support those who continue to fight for freedom around the world. Although our histories differ, we are united by the same aspiration: to build free societies, strengthen accountable institutions, respect human dignity and defend fundamental rights and freedoms,” the minister said.

Budrys stressed that the most brutal violation of fundamental human rights and the international order today is Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, which is supported and sustained by a number of authoritarian regimes. The minister called for international efforts to be mobilised to stop the aggression, prevent human rights violations and ensure that all those responsible for these crimes are held to account.

The foreign minister also reaffirmed Lithuania’s commitment to defending the values of freedom, democracy and human rights.

“Lithuania is a country that knows the price of freedom. For Lithuanians, freedom is more than a political concept. It is in our DNA, part of our historical memory and collective identity. That is why our commitment to freedom, democracy and human rights is firm and unwavering,” the minister said.

The conference was organised by the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs together with the US non-governmental organisation Freedom House. It brought together former political prisoners, democratic opposition leaders, human rights defenders and representatives of civil society from Belarus, Cuba, Russia, Ukraine and Venezuela.

Vilnius, October 16 (ELTA) – As solar power generation declined in September, the average wholesale electricity price in Lithuania increased by 36% to EUR 108.44 per megawatt-hour (MWh) compared with August, energy company Elektrum Lietuva said.

According to the company, the electricity price in Latvia also increased by 36% in September to EUR 108.53 per MWh, while in Estonia it rose by 27% to EUR 74.85 per MWh.

Wind power generation in the Baltic States increased by 28% month-on-month to 655 gigawatt-hours (GWh), while solar power generation fell by 41% to 439 GWh.

Despite the seasonal decline in solar power generation, wind power generation in the Baltic States increased by 72% year-on-year, while solar power generation rose by 21%. Total renewable energy generation, including hydropower, also increased by 43% year-on-year.

Electricity demand in Lithuania reached 998 GWh in September, 2% more than in August and 11% more than in the same period last year.

Meanwhile, electricity generation in Lithuania was essentially unchanged month-on-month at 871 GWh. However, compared with September 2025, electricity generation increased by 31%.

The company said electricity consumption in Latvia increased by 2% month-on-month, while generation rose by 4%. In Estonia, electricity consumption also increased by 4% to 578 GWh, but generation fell by 4% month-on-month.

Electricity generated in Lithuania in September accounted for 87% of electricity consumed in the country. The corresponding figure was 61% in Latvia and 62% in Estonia.

Overall, the Baltic States generated 73% of the electricity they needed in September.

Vilnius, October 16 (ELTA) – President Gitanas Nausėda, together with Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal, Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, have sent a joint letter to European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, highlighting the strategic importance of the Rail Baltica project to the European Union, said the presidency.

The leaders reaffirmed the commitment of Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, and Poland to ensuring that the Rail Baltica project is completed during the 2028–2034 period of the EU’s multiannual financial framework (MFF). To ensure the project’s successful implementation, they called for the necessary EU funding to be allocated.

The letter emphasizes that Rail Baltica is a strategic EU investment in security, military mobility, connectivity, economic resilience, European unity, and territorial cohesion. Its significance has grown even further in the current security environment, as it is intended to strengthen the EU’s and NATO’s ability to rapidly deploy troops and military equipment to Europe’s eastern flank.

The leaders noted that Rail Baltica has reached a mature stage of implementation. In Lithuania, 114 km of the main line is under construction, including sections where track laying has already begun. Across the Baltic States, nearly half of the main line is either under construction or ready for construction. Implementation of the Rail Baltica corridor is also progressing in Poland, where a contract was recently signed for the construction of nearly 95 km of railway infrastructure on the Białystok–Ełk section, further strengthening the connection between the Baltic States and the rest of the Union.

“Our countries reaffirm their commitment to implementing the project and fulfilling their national obligations. We will continue to cooperate closely to ensure the coordinated implementation of the project and its timely completion,” the joint letter states.

The leaders also underscored that significant national funding has been allocated to the Rail Baltica project and that substantial support has already been provided by the European Union. However, the project can only be successfully completed with robust, predictable, and targeted EU funding under the next multiannual financial framework. This would create significant added value extending far beyond the borders of the participating EU Member States and serving the interests of the entire Union.

The leaders of Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, and Poland call for the inclusion of a dedicated funding line for the Rail Baltica project within the Connecting Europe Facility. Rail Baltica has to remain one of the EU’s top infrastructure priorities.

“We believe that the European Council will continue to recognize Rail Baltica as a priority European project and will support the conditions necessary for its successful completion. The implementation of Rail Baltica will send a clear message that the European Union is capable of investing in infrastructure that simultaneously strengthens security, promotes cohesion, and deepens the integration of all its regions,” the joint letter states.

Rail Baltica is the largest railway infrastructure project in the history of the Baltic States. Its implementation involves the construction of an electrified, European-standard double-track railway connecting Warsaw, Kaunas, Vilnius, Panevėžys, Riga, Pärnu, and Tallinn. The total length of the Rail Baltica railway line in the Baltic States is 870 km, namely, 392 km in Lithuania, 265 km in Latvia, and 213 km in Estonia. An additional approximately 362 km of the line is located in Poland.

Rail Baltica is an integral part of two European transport network corridors: the North Sea–Baltic Sea Corridor and the Baltic Sea–Black Sea–Aegean Sea Corridor. In 2011, it was recognized in Lithuania as a project of exceptional national importance.

Five European Union member states are participating in the project: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and, indirectly, Finland. The new Rail Baltica railway, built to the European standard gauge of 1,435 mm, is being developed by Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, while Poland is modernizing its section of the line.

Vilnius, October 16 (ELTA) – As Lithuania’s Presidency of the Council of the EU approaches, significant attention is planned to be devoted to research competitiveness, skills policy, teacher careers, and physical activity among the population in the fields of education, science and sport. The Ministry of Education, Science and Sport will present these Presidency priorities today to the Seimas Committee on Education and Science, the ministry reports.

“We will have many responsibilities in the areas of education, science and sport. We will seek ways to strengthen the European Research Area, improve the recognition of qualifications acquired by, and make teaching careers more attractive and sustainable. Lithuania will play an important role not only in fostering dialogue among EU Member States and EU institutions on these important issues, but will also need to bring Europe together to reach common decisions,” said Raminta Popovienė, minister of education, science and sport.

In the field of education, the goal is to strengthen the European Education Area, ensuring high-quality, inclusive education that meets the needs of the future. The plan is to focus heavily on the next-generation Erasmus+ program and to make progress in negotiations on its future.

It also aims to promote political dialogue on the attractiveness of the teaching profession, the sustainability of teaching careers and professional development. In the area of skills and qualifications, discussions will focus on the portability and digitalisation of qualifications, as well as ways to facilitate their recognition across EU Member States.

In the field of science, Lithuania will strive for a more competitive and open European Research Area, underpinned by the implementation of the fifth freedom. The fifth freedom refers to the free flow of knowledge, research and innovation. This initiative aims to strengthen Europe’s technological competitiveness and ensure that scientific discoveries and data flow freely among EU Member States.

Lithuania plans to seek progress in negotiations on future EU research programs and work towards a stronger, more researcher-friendly European Research Area. An important goal is to strengthen Europe’s technological competitiveness and capacity for innovation.

In the field of sport, the plan is to strengthen the role of sports and physical activity in building a healthier and more resilient Europe.

Lithuania will seek progress in promoting health-enhancing physical activity, ensuring better cross-sectoral cooperation and evidence-based policies. Discussions will also address ways to strengthen the shared values of the European Sport Model.

Lithuania will hold the Presidency of the Council of the EU starting 1 January 2027. Throughout the six-month Presidency, Lithuania will host meetings of high-level representatives from EU Member States and EU institutions, expert discussions, conferences, and other events.

Vilnius, October 16 (ELTA) – Economists Živilė Simonaitytė-Vasiliauskienė and Tadas Povilauskas have raised doubts about next year’s state budget revenue plan, citing ambitious tax collection forecasts and warning that a growing budget deficit will push public debt higher. Meanwhile, the Lithuanian Business Confederation (LVK) said a 3.8% budget deficit amid favourable economic conditions was a warning sign.

Simonaitytė-Vasiliauskienė, a researcher and lecturer at Vilnius University’s Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, said some budget revenue would depend on factors that were difficult to predict.

In a Facebook post, the economist said the forecast for corporate income tax revenue this year had already been revised down by nearly EUR 302 million from the original plan, while diesel sales volumes continued to decline.

According to her, diesel sales in Lithuania had fallen by 13.5%, with a further 6.5% decline recorded between March and August 2026 compared with the same period of the previous year.

SEB Bank chief economist Povilauskas also drew attention to the ambitious tax revenue forecasts.

He said the projected 11% rise in excise duty revenue appeared overly optimistic, while expectations for higher value-added tax (VAT) revenue were complicated by slower household consumption growth and the large share of additional revenue attributed to improved tax administration.

Povilauskas also criticised rising public spending and warned that borrowing could eventually limit the scope for stimulating the economy.

“Next year, fiscal policy will again stimulate the economy with borrowed money. But the growing deficit and the public becoming accustomed to it will only add to the pressure when we eventually have to start reducing the deficit while also slowing economic growth,” Povilauskas said.

According to Finance Ministry forecasts, the general government deficit will reach 3.8% of GDP in 2027 and could rise to 4.8% of GDP in 2028. Public debt is expected to reach 48.2% of GDP by the end of next year.

Povilauskas said debt growth would be driven by higher spending on defence, social benefits and public-sector pay, and that interest payments on public debt next year would be EUR 370 million higher than this year.

Meanwhile, the Lithuanian Business Confederation said a 3.8% state budget deficit in favourable economic conditions was a warning sign. Business representatives urged particularly careful scrutiny of all decisions that would increase the state’s long-term commitments.

The association was also concerned that the planned deficit was based on an extremely optimistic scenario for growth in state revenue next year.

The confederation questioned the projected state budget revenue. In LVK’s view, the forecast for corporate income tax receipts in 2026 was all but mathematically impossible to achieve, while the most optimistic scenario had been chosen for personal income tax collection.

Business representatives see similar trends in the planning of state budget revenue for 2027.

LVK stressed that Lithuania was no longer operating in a low-interest-rate environment. The association said it was one thing to rescue the economy with a 6% deficit in 2020, when Lithuania was borrowing almost for free, and quite another to borrow the equivalent of 4.8% of GDP at 4.4% interest.

Business representatives noted that nearly 1.4% of GDP was earmarked for interest payments next year.

Demographic trends are also expected to put increasing pressure on public finances, with spending needs for healthcare and social protection projected to rise and the situation to worsen. LVK therefore said any additional decisions increasing state commitments in these areas must be carefully assessed.

As previously reported by ELTA, the Government has approved next year’s draft state budget, which envisages a general government deficit of 3.8% of GDP, above the Maastricht threshold.

Without applying the EU exemption for military procurement (1.5% of GDP), the general government deficit is expected to stand at 4.8% of GDP next year, while public debt is projected at 48.2% of GDP.

The deficit is forecast to reach 4.6% of GDP in 2028, or 4.7% without the military spending exemption, with public debt expected to exceed half of GDP, reaching 50.7%.

Key budget priorities include public and national security. Allocations to the Ministry of National Defence will amount to 5% of GDP, or more than EUR 4.8 billion, next year, while EUR 150 million is earmarked for measures under the Family Package.

Luxembourg, October 16 (ELTA) – The euro area annual inflation rate was 3.8% in September 2026, up from 3.2% in August. A year earlier, the rate was 2.2%. European Union annual inflation was 3.8% in September 2026, up from 3.2% in August. A year earlier, the rate was 2.6%. These figures are published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.

The lowest annual rates were registered in Sweden (1.0%), Hungary and Denmark (both 2.1%).

The highest annual rates were recorded in Romania (6.5%), Lithuania (6.1%) and Bulgaria (5.6%).

Compared with August 2026, annual inflation fell in one Member State, remained stable in three and rose in twenty-three.

In September 2026, inflation in Latvia was at 3.0%, in Estonia at 3.1% and in Poland at 4.0%.

In September 2026, energy (+1.71 percentage points, pp), services (+1.52 percentage points, pp), non-energy industrial goods (+0.29 percentage points, pp) and food, alcohol & tobacco (+0.25 percentage points, pp) contributed positively to the annual euro area inflation rate.

Vilnius, October 16 (ELTA) – Lithuanian crews fired live rounds from German Leopard 2A6 tanks at the General Silvestras Žukauskas Training Area in Pabradė on Friday, the first time such a firing exercise has taken place on Lithuanian territory.

According to Brig. Gen. Nerijus Stankevičius, commander of the Lithuanian Land Force, the exercise marks the actual start of operations for Lithuania’s tank battalion, which is currently being formed.

“For the first time, Lithuanian crews fired from German tanks at a training area in Lithuania. This is the first step on a long road, the first time we can truly say – this is where the life of our tank battalion begins,” Stankevičius told reporters on Friday.

According to him, four Lithuanian tank crews took part in the exercise, conducting manoeuvres and firing at targets.

“These are the first combat steps of a Lithuanian tank unit. Not administrative ones, not something done in a classroom, but actual live fire conducted at a training area, in the field,” the brigadier general stressed.

First tanks expected in 2028

Stankevičius said the formation of the Lithuanian Army’s tank battalion was proceeding according to schedule, with the first tanks earmarked for Lithuania expected to arrive in the second half of 2028.

“By then, we must have crews ready to operate the tanks that are arriving. Crew training is coordinated with the arrival of the tanks,” he said.

The Land Force commander also noted that about half of the positions in the future tank battalion have already been filled and that there is no shortage of people wanting to serve in the new unit.

According to him, the first Lithuanian soldiers trained in Germany will become instructors and will eventually be able to train new tank crews in Lithuania.

Major Vytis Šciukas, a representative of the Infantry Brigade Iron Wolf and the tank battalion project officer, said four complete tank crews had now been trained, with training for another four crews to begin next week.

According to him, the basic training course for tank gunners, loaders and operators lasts 12 weeks. Becoming a driver requires an additional four weeks of training, while becoming a tank commander requires another 18 weeks.

Šciukas stressed that the Lithuanian Armed Forces were building a tank capability practically from scratch, so the entire process required not only equipment but also the training of qualified specialists.

Tank battalion to transform Armed Forces’ capabilities

Stankevičius stressed that the creation of the tank battalion would significantly strengthen the Lithuanian Armed Forces’ manoeuvre capability and firepower.

“The Lithuanian Armed Forces have never had a tank battalion. We have to understand that we will have a battalion with significant manoeuvre capability and firepower, so a change in thinking is also needed,” the Land Force commander said.

According to him, the tank battalion will become one of the units of the heavy mechanised brigade and will give the Armed Forces new offensive capabilities.

The brigadier general also noted that Latvia and Estonia do not have such tank units, meaning Lithuania will be the first of the three Baltic States in this respect.

As previously reported by ELTA, the Lithuanian Armed Forces’ tank battalion has been under development since 2024 in close cooperation with the German Army’s 93rd Armoured Battalion.

The new Lithuanian tank battalion is planned to be equipped with 44 German-made Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks.

The development of the tank battalion is part of the development of the Lithuanian Armed Forces’ First Division, and its capabilities will contribute to the transformation of the Infantry Brigade Iron Wolf into a heavy brigade.

Vilnius, October 16 (ELTA) – On 13–16 October 2026, the Lithuanian delegation to the European Schools is chairing the meetings of the Joint Board of Inspectors and the Joint Teaching Committee of the European Schools, taking place at the Office of the Secretary-General of the European Schools in Brussels, reports the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport.

During the meetings, Lithuania’s presidency priorities for 2026–2027 were presented: a focus on strengthening linguistic and cultural diversity, the safe, reliable, resilient, and sustainable use of artificial intelligence, and the creation of educational conditions for every student by ensuring support tailored to the child's individual needs.

In line with the priority of Lithuania’s presidency of the European Schools to increase the accessibility of European education, the representative of Ireland, Fiona Kavanagh, presented the priorities of the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Ulrike Storost, representing the European Commission's Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, presented the priorities and development direction of general education at the European level.

The meetings include discussions on how to improve the quality of educational practices in early education and primary school by granting teachers more freedom in content creation and flexible implementation. Emphasis is placed on the flexibility of activity schedules through integrated educational practice, and the European School student assessment system is being refined, placing greater focus on formative assessment. It was noted that the quality of secondary school performance in grades S1–S5 is linked to the findings and recommendations of the PISA international study, as well as whole-school inspection reports. The teacher career opportunity system is also being enhanced.

Since 1 August 2026, Lithuania has been chairing the European Schools system for the first time in history. Part of the presidency period will coincide with the upcoming Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the EU, which begins on 1 January 2027. This mission is being implemented by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports together with its partners – Vytautas Magnus University and the Vilnius Lithuanian House.