Edward Lucas in a speech held in Tallinn: Europe must learn to listen to Estonia

Yesterday, on 15 May, security expert, journalist, and Estonia’s first e-resident Edward Lucas gave a public lecture at Vabamu, the Museum of Occupations and Freedom in Tallinn, Estonia.

In his presentation, inspired by former President Lennart Meri’s landmark literary work Silverwhite, Lucas emphasised that Estonia’s right to sovereignty must never again be questioned. “The world must know that Estonia is a real place, inhabited by real people – it is not a cartographical construct, a historical error, or a square on a geopolitical chessboard,” he said.

The lecture, entitled “Estonian Lessons: What Europe Needs to Learn,” was organized in cooperation between Vabamu and Estonia's e-Residency programme. In it, Lucas reflected on his more than 30-year-long relationship with Estonia, recalling vivid historical events he had personally witnessed and pivotal moments in the country’s history. “Estonia correctly assessed the risks of rejoining the free world and, as a young nation, boldly chose to ignore Western advice, standing firm on decisions from fiscal policy to the national language and citizenship laws,” he noted.

“You live in a bad neighbourhood to the east, and that has forced Estonians to work extraordinarily hard to make themselves seen and heard,” Lucas remarked. He added that although Estonia’s history is a masterclass in resilience, the danger of being overlooked remains—especially due to the spread of falsehoods by ‘amateur historians’ like Vladimir Putin. “Disinformation is lethally dangerous to democracy. Fortunately, Estonia understood this early on. Twenty years ago, Western powers were still skeptical of the Russian threat—but not anymore,” Lucas stated.

He praised modern-day Estonia for its commitment to developing both its digital state and defense capabilities. “Estonians were right not only about the Russian threat, but also about the importance of deterrence—keeping defense spending at 2% while others shamefully underfunded theirs. If more countries had listened to Estonia, we wouldn’t now be in a situation where the American public and political leaders see European allies as freeloaders,” Lucas noted.

As an e-resident, he expressed hope that the rest of the world will soon catch up. “Many countries, including my own, have spent billions on national IT systems that don’t work nearly as well as the ones the Estonian people use every day,” he said.

“Estonians have been right about many things. Listen to them when they speak about the economy, innovation, and digital identity—but especially when they speak about defense,” Lucas urged European countries.

“Edward Lucas’s support for Estonia has made an invaluable contribution to our visibility in the world. We are sincerely grateful and proud to count among our e-residents a friend who believes in us and helps make Estonia greater,” said Liina Vahtras, head of the e-Residency programme.

Graduating students who participate in Noorte Vabamu's activities and are finishing the school year were invited to attend the lecture. “What struck me most about Edward Lucas lecture was that Estonia was the one who correctly understood the geopolitical situation as early as 1939-40, before the Western European countries even realised what was happening,” said Alice Kangro, a senior from Gustav Adolf Grammar School in Tallinn. “This is what these countries should do today, instead of just saying that the Baltic countries are right. Looking at today’s difficult transatlantic relations, it is easy to blame the United States for everything, while most European countries have not bothered to increase their defence spending for years.”

Edward Lucas is a British author, journalist, security expert, and senior fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA). He is also a columnist for The Times and the Estonian daily Eesti Päevaleht. Over the decades, he has written numerous international articles about Estonia. In 2014, he became Estonia’s very first e-resident. “Estonia’s electronic identity is perhaps a greater honor for me than any state decoration—and certainly more practical,” he has said.

Estonia launched the world’s first e-Residency programme at the end of 2014, with the aim of providing foreign nationals safe access to its public e-services. Since then, more than 125,000 people from 185 countries have been granted e-resident status (excluding revoked cases). 

Over the years, e-residents have established more than 35,000 companies in Estonia, contributing significantly to the country’s economy. To date, the programme has generated over 327 million euros in direct revenue for Estonia, in the form of tax revenue and state fees. In addition to financial gains, e-Residency also delivers indirect benefits by enhancing Estonia’s global reputation, as well as driving growth and investment in local businesses that provide services to e-residents.

For more information about Estonian e-Residency and related statistics, please visit the programme’s official website: https://www.e-resident.gov.ee