Image of ‘digital Baltics’ cracks under weight of pandemic – analysis
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Tallinn, Estonia / Shutterstock
Despite being lauded as a digital posterchild, Estonia’s e-governance fell short during the Covid-19 crisis. Its Baltic neighbours, Latvia and Lithuania, fared no better. Keegan McBride reports.
This digital governance excellence, combined with low rates of Covid-19 in the so called ‘Baltic Bubble’ during the first wave of the pandemic, created an international story that if only governments were digital then they too could handle and manage the pandemic better.
While Estonia was the most active in marketing this idea abroad, both Latvia and Lithuania have also proudly presented their digital response to the pandemic.