Latest news with #Estonians
Irish Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Stephen Kenny's first-leg ambitions outlined as St Pat's bid for glamour tie
Stephen Kenny wants his St Patrick's Athletic side to repeat their Europa Conference League first round heroics - by taking a lead with them to the Baltics. Last time out, they flew to Lithuania with a one-goal advantage against FC Hegelmann, where they scored twice to wrap up a 3-0 aggregate win. Next up on Thursday night is the visit to Richmond Park of Estonians Nomme Kalju - and Kenny is eager for his side to be in the ascendancy when they head to Tallinn next week. The Pat's boss is missing Sean Hoare and Romal Palmer for Thursday's game, but otherwise has a strong squad for the game. Describing Kalju as a step up from their first round opponents, he said: 'They will be tough opposition. We'd like to take a lead ideally to Estonia, that has to be the objective.' Kenny got the lowdown on their second round opponents from former Pat's star Ian Bermingham, whose club European appearance record was beaten last week by Chris Forrester. Bermingham watched Kalju in action against Albanian side Partizani - and he brought home a detailed report of the Estonian side. Click this link or scan the QR code to receive the latest League of Ireland news and top stories from the Irish Mirror. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice . 'Ian was in Tirana and he saw that game. It was a big win for Nomme Kalju in Tirana because Partizani are ranked higher than us I believe,' said Kenny. 'So it was a big win in the second half of extra-time and they were value for it over the two legs, I thought. We'll dust ourselves down for a new challenge and get ready. '(They play a) 3-4-2-1 model, Shelbourne and Shamrock Rovers are playing 3-4-2-1. The striker is Brazilian and they have a Ghanaian forward as well. 'They have a lot of energy, they're a very fit team and some good attacking players. They finished second in that league last year, they split the Tallinns. We'll get a real tough game.' Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email .
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
How Estonia outpaced the rest of Europe at digitalization
This is an AI- generated image used for representational purposes only How long does it take to divorce in your country? In Estonia, the first step of the uncomfortable undertaking can be made in less than a minute — and even without the undesired spouse being present. "It takes 45 seconds to get to the point where it says submit the divorce application," said Luukas Ilves, until last year the Estonian government's chief information officer Ilves told DW that divorce application was the last section of public administration that had yet to be digitized, which means the small Baltic state bordering Russia is probably the first fully digitized country in the world. Even in Estonia, both partners must of course consent to the procedure and be physically present in a meeting with a civil servant who formally ends the marriage. But uptake of the online service is already phenomenal, with about 60 per cent of all divorces in Estonia being initiated via the government's so-called e-divorce platform since its launch last December. "We all expect convenience, simplicity and security from digital services in the private sector. Why should government services be any different?" said Ilves. User-friendliness is key to acceptance Ilves is the author of a recent study titled "The End of Bureaucracy," which he compiled in collaboration with the Friedrich-Naumann-Foundation, which is affiliated to Germany's Free Democratic Party. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This Could Be the Best Time to Trade Gold in 5 Years IC Markets Learn More Undo The report highlights the differences in digitization policy and what Germany can learn from the more advanced Estonia. Currently, about 62 per cent of Germans use digital service in administration, while Estonia has an uptake of over 90 per cent, the report said. Electronic identity verification, for example, is a major issue in the report, as 90 per cent of Estonians use national e-IDs to access government services, compared with less than 10 per cent of Germans. The reason for that is simple, Ilves said. The Estonian software is more user-friendly and provides access to both public and private sector services, including retail banking. Ilves told DW that until a few years ago, Belgium had used an e-ID technology similar to that in Germany. But it performed poorly, with only 10 per cent to 20 per cent of the population using it. But ever since the country's banks and telecommunication operators introduced a user-friendly mobile version that allowed access to both private sector and government services, e-ID uptake has jumped to 80 per cent. Greater acceptance of digital administration services also helps save taxpayers' money, the Ilves report states. The administrative cost of collecting taxes in Estonia, for example, are per capita only one-sixth of those in Germany. Slashing the bureaucratic jungle with OOP Following general elections in February, the new German government of Chancellor Friedrich Merz has established a Ministry for Digital Transformation and Government Modernisation (BMDS). Its aim is to offer a "comprehensive range of services to provide impetus, initiate cooperation and develop solutions for the public administration of the future." Digital industry representatives like Magdalena Zadara have welcomed the decision. Zadara is chief of staff and strategy at the German Digital Service, a government agency that develops and implements software to digitalize administrative processes. Speaking with DW, she said she was "optimistic" about the new digital ministry because it seeks to digitalize services "end-to-end," thereby cutting short the seemingly endless journeys through German bureaucracy. "If I wanted to come to Germany to work from a country outside the EU, I would have to interact with about five to seven different government agencies to get my diploma approved, and they would maybe even ask for the same data." One solution to the problem she has in mind is Estonia's so-called once-only principle (OOP), meaning that citizens and businesses only need to provide information to public authorities once. That data can then be reused and shared internally by all authorities. OOP is one of the pillars of digital government in Estonia and even codified in law. Another hallmark of Estonia's modern administration is the digital signature, which is widely used to sign documents like employment contracts. Estonian-Russian businessman Kirill Solovjov said he first used the electronic signature when he received a so-called Estonian e-Residency in 2015 — an 11-year-old government-issued digital identity which gives global entrepreneurs remote access to the country's administrative services. "Digital signatures also existed in Russia at the time, but I was never able to go through the verification process. In Estonia, you just get the [e-ID] card, plug it in, and it works — it's magic," he told DW. Jump to the top with a 'Tiger Leap' The Baltic states — Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania — regained their independence from the former Soviet Union in 1991. The first thing Estonia did at the time was bring the internet and computers to all of its classrooms and libraries under an education program called Tiger Leap. In the year 2000, the country of 1.4 million people made another big leap in digitalization when online tax declarations became available and electronic signatures were recognized as legally equivalent to ink signatures. By 2015, all major public services including health and social services had been fully digitized. Solovjov said his favorite of all the new services is digital prescriptions. Once a doctor prescribes a medicine, he explains, it automatically ends up in the online registry, and can be accessed from any pharmacy in Estonia — and now even from neighboring Finland. "You just pull out your ID card ... the pharmacist sees exactly what has been prescribed and the different options you have. There's no deciphering illegible handwriting that's so common with doctors. It's easy, safe and fast — plus there's no tampering," he said. Reducing Europe's digital dependency Online security is still a major concern for lawmakers in other European countries and the EU Commission in Brussels. This is why the European tech industry has been calling on lawmakers to reduce Europe's reliance on American tech giants such as Google, Microsoft and Amazon. They warned the EU Commission against watering down the bloc's Digital Markets Act as a safeguard against their dominance. Moreover, they are pushing for developing a so-called EuroStack as a European alternative for technological sovereignty because currently 80 per cent of the technology is imported. A "stack" refers to a layered architecture of interrelated technology components — hardware, software, networking protocols, and infrastructure — that together create a full digital platform. The EuroStack would include sovereign artificial intelligence, open-source ecosystems, green supercomputing, data commons and a sovereign cloud. Luukas Ilves is skeptical about the initiative and warns of the high opportunity costs of "reinventing the wheel" in digitalization, especially end-to-end applications. "No country can be autarkic and fully sovereign in the digital world. In Estonia, we never built an end-to-end Estonia stack but very specific applications and protocols on top of the global technology stack," he said.
Iraqi News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Iraqi News
Estonia to withdraw its troops from in US-led coalitionin Iraq
Baghdad ( – Estonia's greatest military deployment overseas is coming to a conclusion, with soldiers returning from Iraq in September. The Estonian Minister of Defense, Hanno Pevkur, stated on Thursday that its forces will withdraw from the US-led Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR), a military operation aiming to defeat ISIS and increase regional stability, according to the Estonian Public Broadcasting (ERR), an Estonian publicly funded and owned radio and television organization. The Estonian military has been contributing to the mission since 2023, with about 80 Estonian servicemen now stationed in the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, Erbil. Estonian troops have to get used to a new culture, sweltering heat, and a rapidly changing security situation. The Estonians believe that training alongside allies and acquiring experience in a battle zone is particularly beneficial. The Estonian troops are gradually packing up at the base. However, this does not imply that they will totally disappear from the region. One staff officer will remain at the NATO Mission Iraq (NMI) in Baghdad, according to Estonia's ERR. Pevkur mentioned in a statement that recent developments in the Middle East have a clear impact on the region's already unstable security situation, but Iraq remains stable. According to Pevkur, the stability Iraq witnesses allows Estonian troops to end their involvement in the military operation and focus on strengthening Estonia's national defense.
DW
5 days ago
- Business
- DW
How Estonia outpaced the rest of Europe at digitalization – DW – 07/18/2025
Germany has been described as an analogue country in a digital world. Meanwhile, Estonia has digitized all of its government services, including applying for divorce. How has Estonia become Europe's digital leader? How long does it take to start a divorce in yourcountry? In Estonia, the first step of the uncomfortable undertaking can be made in less than a minute — and that even without the undesired spouse being present, says Luukas Ilves. "It takes 45 seconds to get to the point where it says submit the divorce application." Until last year the Estonian government's Chief Information Officer, Ilves told DW that divorce application has been the last section of public administration that was digitized, and that this has probably made the small Baltic state bordering Russia the first fully digitized country in the world. Even in Estonia, both partners must of course consent to the procedure and be physically present in a meeting with a civil servant who formally ends the marriage. But uptake of the online service is already phenomenal, with about 60% of all divorces in Estonia being initiated via the government's so-called e-divorce platform since its launch last December. "We all expect convenience, simplicity and security from digital services in the private sector. Why should government services be any different?" said Ilves. Ilves is the author of a recent studytitled "The End of Bureaucracy," which he compiled in collaboration with Germany's Friedrich-Naumann-Foundation. The report highlights the differences in digitization policy and what Germany can learn from the more advanced Estonia. Currently, about 62% of Germans use digital service in administration, while Estonia has an uptake of over 90%, the report says. Electronic identity verification, for example, is a major issue in the report, as 90% of Estonians use national e-IDs to access government services, compared with less than 10% of Germans. The reason for that is simple, Ilves said. The Estonian software is more user-friendly and provides access to both public and private sector services, including retail banking. Ilves told DW that until a few years ago, Belgium had used an e-ID technology similar to that in Germany. But it performed poorly, with only 10% to 20% of the population using it. But ever since the country's banks and telecommunication operators introduced a user-friendly mobile version that allowed access to both private sector and government services, e-ID uptake has jumped to 80%. Greater acceptance of digital administration services also helps save taxpayers' money, the Ilves report states. The administrative cost of collecting taxes in Estonia, for example, are per capita only one-sixth of those in Germany. Following general elections in February, the new German government of Chancellor Friedrich Merz has established a Ministry for Digital Transformation and Government Modernisation (BMDS). Its aim is to offer a "comprehensive range of services to provide impetus, initiate cooperation and develop solutions for the public administration of the future." Digital industry representatives like Magdalena Zadara have welcomed the decision. Zadara is chief of staff and strategy at the German Digital Service, a government agency that develops and implements software to digitalize administrative processes. Speaking with DW, she said she was "optimistic" about the new digital ministry because it seeks to digitalize services "end-to-end," thereby cutting short the seemingly endless journeys through German bureaucracy. "If I wanted to come to Germany to work from a country outside the EU, I would have to interact with about five to seven different government agencies to get my diploma approved, and they would maybe even ask for the same data," she cited as an example. One solution to the problem she has in mind is Estonia's so-called once-only principle (OOP), meaning that citizens and businesses only need to provide information to public authorities once, and that data can then be reused and shared internally by all authorities. OOP is one of the pillars of digital government in Estonia and even codified in law. Another hallmark of Estonia's modern administration is the digital signature, which are widely used to sign everything from employment contracts to voting in national elections. Estonian-Russian businessman Kirill Solovjov says he first used the electronic signature when he received a so-called Estonian e-Residency in 2015 — an 11-year-old government-issued digital identity which gives global entrepreneurs remote access to the country's administrative services. "Digital signatures also existed in Russia at the time, but I was never able to go through the verification process. In Estonia, you just get the [e-ID] card, plug it in, and it works — it's magic," he told DW. The Baltic states — Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania — regained their independence from the former Soviet Union in 1991. The first thing Estonia did at the time was bring the internet and computers to all of its classrooms and libraries under an education program called Tiger Leap. In the year 2000, the country of 1.4 million people made another big leap in digitalization when online tax declarations became available and electronic signatures were recognized as legally equivalent to ink signatures. By 2015, all major public services including health and social services had been fully digitized. Kirill Solovjov says his favorite of all the new services is digital prescriptions. Once a doctor prescribes a medicine, he explains, it automatically ends up in the online registry, and can be accessed from any pharmacy in Estonia — and since a few years even from neighboring Finland. "You just pull out your ID card ... the pharmacist sees exactly what has been prescribed and the different options you have. There's no deciphering illegible handwriting that's so common with doctors. It's easy, safe and fast — plus there's no tampering," he said. Online security, or digital tampering as Solovjov calls it, is still a major concern for lawmakers in other European countries and the EU Commission in Brussels. This is why the European tech industry has been calling on lawmakers to reduce Europe's reliance on American tech giants such as Google, Microsoft or Amazon. They warned the EU Commission against watering down the bloc's Digital Markets Act as a safeguard against their dominance. Moreover, they are pushing for developing a so-called EuroStack as a European alternative for technological sovereignty. A "stack" refers to a layered architecture of interrelated technology components—hardware, software, networking protocols, and infrastructure—that together create a full digital platform. The EuroStack would include sovereign artificial intelligence (AI), open-source ecosystems, green supercomputing, data commons and a sovereign cloud. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Luukas Ilves is skeptical about the initiative and warns of the high opportunity costs of "reinventing the wheel" in digitalization, especially end-to-end applications. "No country can be autarkic and fully sovereign in the digital world. In Estonia, we never built an end-to-end Estonia stack but very specific applications and protocols on top of the global technology stack," he said. At the same time though, he admitted that Europe needs to focus much more on the "very specific risks" of digitalizing all aspects of public life.
Euronews
16-07-2025
- General
- Euronews
In which EU countries are people most at risk of poverty?
Over one in five people in the European Union was at risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2024, according to the latest Eurostat figures. Despite a slight decrease of 0.4 percentage points compared to 2023, experts claim that this improvement cannot be revered. "We can't celebrate a small decrease of 0.4 percentage points of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion when what we see is more people living on the streets, longer lines for food and growing need for social aid," the European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN) wrote in a statement. Bulgaria (30.3%), Romania (27.9%), and Greece (26.9%) reported the highest shares of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion. France has also registered worrying numbers, with the poverty rate here reaching its highest level since 1996. It rose from 14.4% in 2022 to 15.4% in 2023, according to France's statistics bureau, the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE). This rise particularly affected single-parent families and children, while pensioners were less affected. At the EU level, more than one in five people living in households with dependent children were at a slightly higher risk of poverty or social exclusion than those without. 30.8% of Bulgarians living in households with dependent children are at risk of poverty or social exclusion. This is followed by 30.4% of Romanians and 30.2% of Spanish people. By contrast, the lowest rates were seen in the Netherlands at 13%, in Cyprus at 12.7%, and in Slovenia at 9.8%. Meanwhile, 32.3% of Latvians living in households without dependent children were also at risk. This is followed by 29.9% of Estonians and 29.8% of Bulgarians. In Italy, living conditions vary depending on nationality. In 2023, 30.4% of families with at least one foreign citizen were reported at risk of poverty, while this figure was much lower, at 6.3%, for families composed entirely of Italians. Women, young adults aged between 18 and 24, people with a low level of educational attainment and unemployed people were also, on average, more likely to be at risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2024 than other groups within the EU population. For instance, in Cyprus, 18.5% of women were at risk of poverty or social exclusion compared to 15.6% of men. "These figures reflect how systemic inequalities affect people at key life stages: women often carry unpaid care burdens, while young people struggle to access stable jobs and housing," the EAPN stated.
