Lithuania’s dispute over its public broadcaster, a marathon of security conferences in Tallinn, Latvia’s focus on life sciences, Estonia’s resistance to equality rules, a global commemoration of local anti-Soviet resistance, drone tests, and massive US-led military exercises across the region—these are the developments set to shape Baltic headlines in May.
May / 2026 Baltics Next Month Newsletter
A Wrangle Testing the Limits of Media Independence
Lithuania’s ruling coalition is attempting to pass a new vision for LRT, the National Broadcaster, into law. After its efforts were rejected as a clumsy attempt to gain political control over independent media, a major political wrangle has unfolded. Local journalists, the political opposition, and a dozen international journalism advocacy groups have taken up the cause of LRT’s independence. While the coalition continued to push for reform, its critics merged into one large “Hands off Freedom of Expression” campaign. In late April, tens of thousands of people took to the streets to protest the reform for the sixth time. Notably, the reform has attracted the attention of the EU’s Venice Commission, which promised to publish its final recommendations on the matter by the end of May. Both the coalition and the protesters also expect May to be their conclusive month.