The prime Minister is late. He comes, says Jüri Ratas, just from meeting of E-cabinet. Infrastructure projects have been discussed. The head of government does not furr deepen this, but incidental message also arrives: The small Estonia, whose 1.3 million citizens already live in an almost completely digitized state, is advancing technologically. This Friday, Heads of State and Government are garing in Tallinn to approach a future in which Estonians have long since arrived.

All Estonians have an electronic identity card, which is key for any situation in life. It makes virtually all authorities unnecessary, allows handling of banking transactions, can be insurance card, medical record as well as ticket. A tax return is made in Estonia in three minutes. Refunds supposedly land in account after five minutes. "We are proud of our successes so far and like to share our history," says Ratas.

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The story, as Kersti Kaljulaid tells you, is born out of necessity. In first years of independence after end of Soviet Union, poor Estonia could not afford a large state apparatus at all. "We had to look for more economical ways to supply our citizens with services," says president. The 47-year-old economist receives at her headquarters, and if re were not dignified atmosphere of this salmon Palace, Kaljulaid would also go through as CEO of a successful internet group. She passionately portrays advantages of digital state. The digitisation of Estonian society turned and attitude of people "completely changed". In Estonia, re is only one evil memory from Soviet era. No one is more willing to spend hours in an authority, for example to apply for a new passport. "That would be an uprising," she says.

In fact, digital divide between Estonia and most of or EU countries has increased over past few years. In preparation of digital summit, Estonians have gared toger figures, which in ir view speak for mselves. In this way, only one fifth of companies in EU could be classified as highly digitised. 45% of population are unable to move sufficiently on Internet. In international comparison, Europe falls back. A digital single market in EU could create hundreds of thousands of new jobs. To an even greater extent, this applies to expansion of infrastructure, about 5-g mobile networks and high-performance computers.

It is supposed to go to "fifth freedom": unrestricted flow of all many data

The summit will be about digital EU of year 2025 and about what Estonians call "fifth freedom". The EU has so far been aware of four fundamental freedoms. They guarantee free movement of goods, persons, services and capital in internal market. The data should also flow freely. He hopes, says Ratas, "that question is no longer why we need free flow of data, but when that is realistic". Digital services, as y are in Estonia, should also be possible in EU across borders. "That must be next step," he demands. We also need to talk urgently about which digital infrastructure EU needs.

In a common paper, Germany, France, Italy and Spain have also signed a few topics for summit. At top re are tax questions. So four complain that big internet companies do not tax ir profits where y make ir profits. VAT must also be paid where goods or services arrive.

For meeting, however, Estonians have rar prepared or questions, some of which y have already answered for mselves: "How do we bring public sector into digital age?", is one. "How can cyber security create trust for an open Internet and an open society?"

Fundamental concerns are alien to Estonians. The population is confident that vulnerabilities, as y were last discovered with electronic ID card, would be closed, stresses President Kaljulaid. In addition, total transparency can be gained by who can trust when and on which data. A "sophisticated system" makes Estonian citizens sole owner of ir data. Fear of possible misuse by totalitarian regimes also holds Kaljulaid unfounded. In order to deport tens of thousands of Estonians to Siberia, Soviets would not have used internet eir. Analogue databases would have been completely sufficient.

The President is aware that Estonians are sometimes said to have almost sektenhafter zeal in promoting digital world. "We do not preach," she assures. "Don't tell ors what to do". It is rar that re is a "need" to hear from Estonians what y have done.

The future is already re, but it is mainly in Estonia where no politician uses paper and child money is to flow by itself soon: no state is as digital as Estonia, which is also Angela me Rkel admired. And if someone invades, re will soon be a back-up of whole country in Luxembourg. By Matthias Kolb more... Date Of Update: 04 October 2017, 12:13