Governance

Changes in various areas are needed to maintain Estonia’s basic principles, achieve the strategic goalsand meet the development needs. Targeted and coordinated cross-sectoral cooperation is important. The changes that need more attention than the proposals presented and negotiated during the preparation of the strategy are tied into five thematic bundles. Their implementation is monitored on the basis of a more detailed action plan each year and, if necessary, adjustments are made based on domestic events affecting the development of Estonia and changes in the foreign environment.

We will increase the unity  of governance and ensure the smooth functioning of the state

The efficiency of governance must rise due to the aging and decreasing population, because with an ever-shrinking administration there is a need to provide increasingly high-quality public services that are available regardless of where the person lives. For this, we will make governance more needs-based and flexible. We will ensure staff and officials (e.g., teachers, health workers, rescuers, police, prison officers, legal professionals) possessing the necessary skills for the state, taking into account regional needs (including remote and declining areas). We develop organisations and people to adapt to changes in global trends, but also strategic planning at both the state and local government level. We will also promote Estonia as a digital country, and develop data economy. Considering the growth of cyber threats and geopolitical changes, we will develop cyber security in various areas both in Estonia and in the EU as a whole, introduce sustainable solutions to increase the detection of cybercrime and process it more efficiently, and improve the viability of critical services and infrastructure. We will support young people's active civic participation and their connection to the Estonian state.

We will improve the quality and availability of state and local government services and review the division of responsibilities

All public services must be available, accessible and of high quality in the physical and/or digital space, regardless of the place of residence, age, special needs or other characteristics. To this end, we will review the division of responsibilities between the state and local levels in the provision of services. At the same time, we will strengthen the partnership between the state and local governments and increase the role of local governments by promoting decentralization and regional cooperation. We will also develop public sector cooperation with the private sector, NGOs and communities. 

When designing public services, we will aim to make the user experience as simple and supportive as possible (incl. by offering user support in Estonian and, if necessary, in other common languages). We will make the services as functional and predictable as possible in the background, using all the data available in the state securely and taking into account the human will and fundamental rights. We will apply the principle of a single place of business in both physical and digital space. We will develop the justice system and improve the enforcement of rights based on the rule of law.

We will increase the impact and diversity of science while maintaining its high level

Science is at a high level in Estonia, but the use of research results in society has so far been modest. We need to better coordinate both formal and informal communication between researchers, the public sector, business and the civil society, so that science better meets the needs of society. To ensure a high-level, evolving, and multidisciplinary research system, we will ensure the strategic development of research institutions, including continuing to fund basic research for new knowledge, technologies, and ideas, advocating for the growth of the research community, and enabling high-quality research infrastructure and participating in the international knowledge community. We will provide competitive working conditions and career opportunities for researchers, so that Estonian research institutions are attractive employers and researchers are valued partners in society for both private and public sector. We elaborate an academic career model that supports researchers' diversified development and offers greater stability (incl. completing the reform of doctoral studies). We will facilitate the labour mobility between universities, business and the public sector, open up research infrastructure for both enterprises and the public sector, and improve the quality of university knowledge transfer services. We will improve the wider availability and use of research results (incl. development of open science) and support the spread of knowledge-based thinking in society, including civil science. We will support Estonian research and scientific work that deals with the study of the Estonian nation, language, culture, identity, and self-awareness, as well as topics necessary for the functioning of the state. We will ensure the development of language technology solutions and encourage their widest possible implementation.

We will improve the country’s international position and  ensure security and safety

An important direction is the integrity of Estonia’s foreign policy in order to ensure Estonia’s prominent position in the world and to maintain strong relations with its allies. We will focus on sharing Estonia’s strengths with the world, building on Estonia’s achievements in digital, cultural, sports and other fields, while ensuring the positive experience of Estonian guests and the balanced impact of tourism on the local culture and environment.

In order to ensure Estonia’s economic security and stability, we conduct more in-depth screening of significant foreign investments quickly and transparently. Improving Estonia’s international position is supported by the foreign language skills of the Estonian population, which facilitates international communication and gives a competitive advantage to both entrepreneurs and employees. We will increase the effectiveness of development cooperation in order to build peaceful societies in the world. We will develop the broad concept of security and improve society’s crisis preparedness and resilience to hybrid threats. Estonia will do its utmost to develop treaty-based international relations, strengthen the European Union and NATO, and develop friendly relations with allies in order to ensure the comprehensive security of both Estonia and our allies. We will develop the necessary infrastructure for the presence of our allies and make the organisation of military service more responsive to people’s abilities.

In cooperation with the private and civil sectors, we will improve the prevention, detection and processing of illegal migration. We will increase our resilience to threats to the constitutional order, including hybrid threats and subversion. We will ensure the functioning of vital services and increase the responsibility of communities in ensuring security and preventing crime (incl. increasing people’s awareness of their role in national defence and ensuring community security). In order to keep the response capacity of law enforcement agencies and the rescue network at a level commensurate with the threats, we will make security-enhancing services more effective through technical and innovative solutions. We will ensure that the cyber risks of the digital society are well managed and that Estonian cyberspace is highly reliable.

Last updated: 24.08.2021