Interview with Prime Minister Jüri Ratas of Estonia

Abstract

Jüri Ratas has been Estonia's Prime Minister since 2016 and is currently serving his second term in office. From 2007 to 2016, Ratas was Vice-President of the 11th, 12th and 13th Estonian Parliament. He was elected to the Tallinn City Council in 2005, 2009 and 2013, and served as the city's Mayor from 2005 to 2007, and as its Deputy Mayor from 2003 to 2004 and during 2005. His service in the Tallinn administration started when he was elected Economic Adviser to the Tallinn City Office, a position he served in from 2002 to 2003. Prior to holding this post, he served on the board of OÜ Värvilised from 1999 to 2002. During his time in office, Prime Minister Ratas has supported Estonia's various State-led digital transformation processes. In this interview, he reflects on how the “digital State” of Estonia has relied on digitally rooted solutions to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. He also provides insights for the humanitarian sector on digital transformation processes, private–public sector collaborations and preventive digital approaches, such as investing in digital literacy and education, that can help mitigate the potentially adverse effects of digital advancements.