Future of Europe dominates Estonia summit

Theresa May speaks with Swedish PM Stefan Lofven at Estonia’s
summit

Brexit, Germany’s shock election result, Catalonia’s
independence referendum… Europe’s leaders are gathered in
Tallinn, Estonia, for a digital summit – but their focus is
elsewhere.

Estonia, which holds the EU presidency, and other eastern
European economies are keenly attuned to the possibilities offered
by digital, Politico says. They are aware of the
disproportionate reliance on American technology and are keen to
redraw the map in Europe’s favour.

But western Europe thinks differently: just this month, France,
Germany, Italy and Spain proposed a new way to tax internet
companies, the EU
Observer points out. Emmanuel Macron arrived waving an agenda
for taxation and tougher regulation.

Worse, what was “billed as a stargazing ‘digital summit’ … now
risks being hijacked” by the broader political landscape, the
FT says. Spain’s Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy
did not even attend, instead holding crisis talks on Catalonia’s
independence referendum. Greece’s Alexis Tsipras is preoccupied by
the IMF’s demands for yet another bank
recapitalisation. 

Meanwhile, Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel spent 30
minutes huddled together, according to Bloomberg. It’s unlikely that a newly-weakened
Merkel, who may not be able to form a government for at least two
months, had digital innovation at the forefront of her
mind. 

Still, it’s likely the Estonians knew what was coming. As
Politico points out, “For an unofficial event
with no fixed agenda, it was exquisitely choreographed and tightly
controlled” to minimise Theresa May’s ability to push her Brexit
demands and keep leaders talking amicably without actually saying
anything.

And the organisers took the view that just getting everyone in
one room was a coup for the small Baltic state. “The timing is
perfect,” one Estonian official told the FT. “All the big elephants
will be in the room.”