A conversation with the Estonian Minister for Digital Affairs

As technology evolves and inequality grows, the way governments deploy and regulate digital tools becomes vital. The diverse strategies states adopt today will determine whether future technological growth leads to a more stable, fair society or further instability.

Estonia is a global leader in e-government, offering nearly all public services online through a secure, citizen-centric digital infrastructure. It has developed a fully digital society, known as e-Estonia, where citizens and residents interact with the state primarily through information and communication technology (ICT) solutions. The country provides a wide range of e-services, including e-Tax Board, e-Business, e-Banking, e-Ticket, e-School, e-Governance Academy, and i-Voting. Estonia also offers e-Residency, allowing non-residents to access digital services and establish businesses online.

We are very happy to welcome the Estonian Minister of Justice and Digital Affairs, Ms Liisa-Ly Pakosta to explain to us how the Estonian government is built. She will be in conversation with Dr Tanya Filer who has established the Digital State Project at the Bennett Institute for Public Policy in Cambridge.

More about the speakers:

• Ms Liisa-Ly Pakosta - Minister of Justice and Digital Affairs, Republic of Estonia. With a strong background in history, law, and public service, she has played a key role in shaping Estonia’s digital and legal landscapes. Her previous roles include Member of Parliament, Gender Equality and Equal Treatment Commissioner, and Director General of the Estonian National Heritage Board. A passionate advocate for equal rights, digital innovation, and cultural preservation, she brings both policy expertise and a human-centered approach to leadership. Ms Pakosta holds degrees in history and law and is currently pursuing her PhD in law at the University of Tartu.
• Dr Tanya Filer - Affiliated Researcher at the Bennett School for Public Policy, Cambridge. Dr Filer has established and led the Digital State Project at the Bennett Institute for Public Policy, focussed on digital government and the technological capacities of government organisations and policymakers. Dr Filer is also the Founder and CEO of StateUp, the platform of research, strategy, and executive programmes helping governments and firms globally to lead through the technology, energy, and geopolitical transitions. She is also Editor-in-Chief of the Cambridge Forum on Technology and Global Affairs (CUP).

Moderator:

• Dr Donatas Kupciunas - Baltic Fellow at the Centre for Geopolitics, University of Cambridge; Research Fellow at Wolfson College, Cambridge and a Senior Research Fellow at the Lithuanian Institute of History. His research interests include modern international history, cultural and intellectual history of diplomacy and geopolitics of the Baltic Sea region.

The event will be followed by a drinks reception.

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