Estonia has undergone a complete digitization of public services: today all services are available online, and even Ukrainian refugees can use them.
In an interview with Ukrinform, Petra Holm, the adviser on digital transformation at e-Estonia, stated.
“We began digitizing as soon as we regained our independence and defined this process as a national strategy. Given Estonia’s population and natural resources, we were not faced with a large number of sectors for success. We needed to understand how to build an efficient state and not be as bureaucratic as established democracies.”
– Petra Holm
System Proactivity: Accessibility of Services and Their Future
Holm emphasized that technology has become the foundation of effective governance for Estonians: any interaction with public infrastructure has a digital option, with the exception of municipal services, which depend on the region.
“Quality of life is the reason Estonia built a digital state. We do not want people to waste their time, energy, and nerves. Everything must be automatic, efficient, and we hope that one day – proactively as well.”
– Petra Holm
She noted that, with proactivity, the system can provide public services autonomously – for example, child payments – without submitting an application.
Holm also drew attention to the rapid integration of refugees: individuals who legally arrive in Estonia, particularly those with refugee status, immediately receive an identity card and access to the digital infrastructure.
In the context of regional approaches and future shifts in the digital sphere, she noted that development directions would remain oriented toward citizen convenience and improving quality of life through automation and transparency of services.
Also in the context of discussions, similar steps of societies were mentioned: in 2026 Ukraine’s state budget for the Ministry of Digital Transformation allocated 10.16 billion UAH, with priorities including defense innovations, the development of the Diia app, and anti-corruption projects.