LPSA’s Regional Working Group on Europe & Central Asia (ECA) Open Meeting took place on December 11, 2024, (10:00 EST/ 15:00 GMT/ 16:00 CET/ 20:00 UZT). The meeting was opened and moderated by Glen Wright, one of the working group’s co-chairs.
Glen Wright introduced the topic of e-governance and digitization, highlighting Estonia’s leadership in this area. He shared a video showcasing Estonia’s advanced digital government system, emphasizing its benefits and the security measures implemented. Estonia’s e-platform, launched in 2001, integrates services such as banking, voting, and tax filing into a secure online system that utilizes digital IDs and blockchain technology. This approach ensures privacy, transparency, and efficiency, allowing most tasks to be completed in just a few minutes. The system has significantly transformed Estonia since its independence. Notable innovations include online voting, which was used by 46% of voters in the 2019 European elections. Estonia’s model demonstrates that secure and resilient digital governance is achievable; however, larger countries must focus on building public trust to implement similar systems effectively.
Dr. Nicolae Urs, Vice Dean of the College of Political, Administrative, and Communication Sciences at Babeș-Bolyai University, Romania, and Co-Chair of the NISPAcee Working Group on E-Governance, discussed the challenges of digital transformation in Romanian cities. He highlighted Cluj-Napoca’s remarkable journey from a post-industrial city to a thriving knowledge-based economy, achieved through strategic planning, collaborative governance, and significant economic growth. The city’s digitalization efforts included hundreds of online public services, document management systems, and digital signatures, developed through collaboration between the city hall, ICT companies, universities, and civil society. Urs emphasized the quadruple helix model, which united government, academia, industry, and the community, with the ICT sector driving innovation. Cluj-Napoca exemplifies how digital transformation and collaborative partnerships can foster urban development and improve the quality of life in Eastern Europe.
Glen introduced a video showcasing Estonia’s advanced use of artificial intelligence in e-governance and digitalization. Since the year 2000, Estonia has been at the forefront of digital transformation, transitioning from paper-based government processes to a digital Cabinet system. This change has significantly reduced meeting times from four hours to just 30 minutes. In 2005, Estonia became the first country to implement secure nationwide internet voting, enabling citizens to vote and revise their choices online. The country’s state portal offers easy access to digital services such as healthcare and business, ensuring transparency through data tracking. These innovations reflect Estonia’s commitment to efficient, inclusive, and forward-thinking digital solutions.
Dr. Steven Nõmmik, a researcher at the Ragnar Nurkse Department of Innovation and Governance at TalTech in Estonia, presented the challenges associated with designing and using AI-based tools in the public sector of Estonia. In his presentation, he discussed the integration of these tools, highlighting the strengths of the country’s digital governance framework. Nõmmik emphasized the potential benefits of AI, such as improved efficiency, enhanced decision-making quality, and transformed service delivery. However, he also pointed out the challenges associated with scaling and implementing these tools. Despite Estonia’s robust digital infrastructure, which includes the X-Road and eID systems, many AI initiatives often remain in pilot stages due to limitations in knowledge, funding, and organizational support. He examined three case studies: unemployment risk scoring, fire risk assessment, and cybersecurity monitoring tools. Each of these faced issues related to governance, ethics, and data quality. Nõmmik stressed the importance of forming multi-functional teams, engaging diverse stakeholders, and adopting a human-centered approach to ensure the successful implementation and scaling of AI solutions. Additionally, he noted that a lack of ownership and trust in these tools could hinder their wider adoption.
Silvia Rucinska, University Professor, Faculty of Public Administration, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, Slovakia discussed the impact of digital transformation on public administration, highlighting two key changes: the shift to digital public services and the digitalization of public information. Citizens now can both access and create information, which has led to “information overload” and the spread of disinformation, including fake news, conspiracy theories, and hate speech. Rucinska explained that disinformation follows three stages: creation, dissemination, and impact. It is important to distinguish between misinformation (false information shared unknowingly), disinformation (knowingly false information), and malinformation (real information used maliciously). Disinformation often targets topics like elections, healthcare, and public spending. Rucinska emphasized the importance of timely, transparent responses from governments and public figures to combat disinformation and maintain public trust.
The meeting progressed with a discussion of Silvia’s presentation, where Slovak public officials Ondrej Kusnirik and Barbora Kovacova shared their valuable insights and the challenges they face in combating disinformation. Ondrej Kusnirik, the Mayor of the municipality Sarisske Michalany, Slovakia, discussed the challenges of disinformation at the local level. He agreed with Sylvia’s presentation and provided an example from his village where rumors about a public procurement process for road reconstruction, funded by the European Union, nearly led to the project’s cancellation. Disinformation spread by an unsuccessful bidder claimed that the process was flawed. Kusnirik emphasized that addressing such misinformation requires timely and transparent communication. He noted that local disinformation revolves around public projects, municipal services, and finances. Barbora Kovacova, Head of the Regional Development Department at the Kosice Self-Governing Region, Slovakia shared her perspective on disinformation, highlighting its connection to the level of self-governance. She observed that municipalities can combat disinformation better than larger cities or regions due to the closer relationship between local representatives and residents. Kovacova also noted a growing public interest in government topics, especially regarding the use of public funds. However, she pointed out that negative news tends to dominate both traditional and social media since sensational stories attract more attention and engagement than positive ones. This often leads to the spread of misinformation, which not only affects elected officials but also impacts the teams working to enhance citizens’ lives.
Yuri Krivorotko, Doctor of Economic Sciences and professor from Minsk, Belarus, presented a project that evaluates the openness and transparency of local budgets in the country. He emphasized the importance of budget transparency and the potential for digitization to enhance it. In his study, he assessed transparency levels in Belarusian municipalities using a simplified methodology based on the International Budget Partnership’s framework. The findings revealed an average transparency level of 43.7%, indicating a significant lack of transparency. Krivorotko also identified various factors influencing transparency, including the disparities between urban and rural areas and the impact of neighboring EU countries. He discussed how digitalization could improve transparency and proposed key success factors necessary for enhancing public finance through digital means.
Glen Wright concluded the meeting and announced the next open meeting of the Regional Working Group on Europe & Central Asia for March 12th, 2025.
A video of the meeting is available on YouTube. The links below provide access to the video segments of the different agenda items.
| Agenda Item | Contributor | Slides |
| 1. Welcome and Introduction | Glen Wright ECA Working Group Co-Chair Dr. Nicolae Urs Vice Dean, College of Political, Administrative and Communication Sciences, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania & Co-Chair of NISPAcee Working Group on E-Governance | N/A |
| 2. The Most Advanced Digital Government in the World (Video presentation) | Glen Wright Moderator | View |
| 3. Digital transformation challenges in Romanian cities: it is not about technology | Dr. Nicolae Urs Vice Dean, College of Political, Administrative and Communication Sciences, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania | View |
| 4. E-Governance (Video presentation) | Glen Wright Moderator | View |
| 5. Moving beyond the potential of a great idea on paper – Challenges with the design and use of AI-based tools in public sector in Estonia | Dr. Steven Nommik Researcher – Ragnar Nurkse Department of Innovation and Governance, TalTech, Estonia | View |
| 6. Disinformation in public policy – the case of Slovakia | Silvia Rucinska University Professor, Faculty of Public Administration, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, Slovakia | View |
| 7. Discussants | Ondrej Kusnirik The Mayor of the municipality Sarisske Michalany, Slovakia Barbora Kovacova Head of the Regional Development Department at the Kosice Self-Governing Region, Slovakia | |
| 8. Fiscal transparency of the local budgets-the case of Belarus | Yuri Krivorotko Doctor of Economics Sciences, professor, Minsk, Belarus/ Researcher at Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic | View |
| 9. Closing remarks Next steps for the working group | Glen Wright |
The next Europe & Central Asia webinar is scheduled for March 12th, 2025– Register Here.
Reminder: You can join any LPSA Expert Working Group free of cost and receive reminders and updates by opting-in to one or more working group as part of your LPSA Membership registration.
