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Key takeaways

Julia Klöckner, the President of the German Bundestag, visited Lithuania and Estonia to hold talks on cyber security and the NATO situation on the eastern flank.The discussions focused on increasing cyber threats and the need for stronger European cooperation.Estonia is seen as a digital role model for Europe, while Germany is also strengthening its military presence in the region.

Julia Klöckner, the President of the German Bundestag, the parliament of the Federal Republic of Germany, paid a visit to Lithuania and Estonia last week. While there, she held talks on security and cyber defence. The situation on NATO’s eastern flank was also on the agenda, including the war in Ukraine.

The reason behind these talks was the growing threat of cyber attacks within Europe. There was also a strong focus on digital innovation and military cooperation within NATO.

Cooperation

Last Wednesday, Klöckner met, among others, with the Estonian Prime Minister, Kristen Michal, and the speakers of parliament from both Lithuania and Estonia. Bilateral relations, cyber security and stability in the region were the main focus of the talks.

Estonia is regarded as a key strategic country on NATO’s eastern flank, as it shares a long, 300‑kilometre border with Russia. Cyber attacks and hybrid threats are moving ever higher up the agenda due to recent geopolitical tensions, partly caused by the war in Ukraine. The German President underlined the importance of a joint European approach. She also stressed the need for parliaments to be resilient against hybrid and digital attacks.

Estonia

An important part of her visit was the exchange of expertise on digitalisation. Estonia outperforms all other European countries in Microsoft’s Digital Futures Index for digital public services. This index compares the level of digitalisation across 16 European countries. The country is particularly far ahead in e‑governance. It makes use of cloud solutions and artificial intelligence, which it applies in both the public and private sectors.

According to Klöckner, Germany can still learn a great deal from Estonia, especially when it comes to a digital and efficient administration. Various studies indicate that a well-functioning government contributes to greater transparency, efficiency and trust in democratic institutions.

Cyber threat

Cyber threats and defence strategies were also on the agenda during her visit. According to recent studies, a large proportion of German companies see cyber attacks as a serious threat.

According to a study by Diconium, 74 per cent of the 200 German corporate cyber experts surveyed are exposed to a high to very high threat of cyber attacks. Yet only a portion of them have fully integrated cyber security into their corporate strategy.

During her stay, Klöckner will also visit a German military brigade in Lithuania. To support local defence, Germany plans to station around 5,000 soldiers in Lithuania by 2027. (fc)

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