In this week’s episode of The Chiefs, Monocle's editorial director Tyler Brûlé joins Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas on leading in times of crisis and the future of Estonia and its national identity.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Few would claim that a pandemic is the ideal time to take over running a country.
But that's exactly what Estonia's Prime Minister, Kayak Callas, did in January this year, following the resignation of the country's previous prime minister, Yuri Ratas, amid allegations of corruption within his party.
Callas Centre Right Reform Party struck a deal with the Centre Party to form a new government.
It was a historic moment when President Kjersti Kaljulai nominated Callas as the new prime minister.
Estonia became the only nation in the world to have a woman as both its elected head of state and its head of government.
Estonia is a world leader in digital culture and governance.
Even before the pandemic struck, Estonians paid their taxes and parking fines, did their banking, voted and accessed their medical records online.
So the transition to working from home and homeschooling during the pandemic was easier than it was in most other nations.
But what are the limitations of living in a digitized society?
This is a question that I put to Callas in our conversation today.
The economy, Estonians, mental health and maintaining civil freedoms all remain big concerns for Callas, as does the influx of migrants in neighbouring Baltic countries as tensions between the EU and Belarus escalate.
Despite having so much on her plate, Kaya Kallas took the time to speak to me in her office in Tallinn about these challenges and the future of Estonia and its national identity.
In the interest of full disclosure, I should say that I'm half Estonian.
This is the Chiefs on Monocle 24.
And I'm Tyler Brulee Tete, Prime Minister.
Thank you very much for taking the time to have a discussion.
High summer as we approach autumn, in a year that has been very hard to define.
And I'm going to ask you a bit of a tricky question, but maybe a report card as we've sort of come out of a school year, we go back into a new school year right now.
Where would you grade Estonia at the moment?
Well, it's very hard to say because the old Estonians would say it's bad faith when you're graded.