Questonia

Stuart Garlick and Maris Hellrand talk to Siim Kuresoo of the Estonian Fund for Nature about the growing deforestation problem in the country. The hosts also discuss in-depth what could happen now the government has collapsed. Recorded on Monday 6 June 2022.

• For an extended version of this episode, subscribe to Questonia on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/questonia
• Song: Diamond Eyes - Father [NCS Release]; music provided by NoCopyrightSounds; free Download / Stream: http://ncs.io/iFather Watch: http://youtu.be/5NTvXKUXEX4
• Estonian Fund for Nature in English: https://elfond.ee/elf-en
• Koos Loodus in English: https://koosloodus.ee/in-english/

Stuart Garlick and Maris Hellrand talk again to Eesti Ekspress journalist Holger Roonemaa. Two of Holger's colleagues were recently fined for publishing a story suggesting that managers in Estonia's largest bank were being investigated for money-laundering. The court ruling that led to the fines has serious implications for journalism's ability to express truth about power.

This comes in the same month that Estonia was named the country with the fourth-freest press of those surveyed by Reporters Without Borders.

Notes

• The methodology behind the 2022 World Press Freedom Index
• Song: Diamond Eyes - Father [NCS Release]; music provided by NoCopyrightSounds; free Download/Stream: http://ncs.io/iFather Watch: http://youtu.be/5NTvXKUXEX4

Stuart Garlick and Maris Hellrand talk to academic Keegan McBride, whose research has focused on Estonian e-governance. They discuss why the country's frequently lauded e-state and e-solutions have not been able to ease the impact of COVID-19 as hoped.

Read Keegan McBride's article on the topic: https://neweasterneurope.eu/2021/03/11/image-of-digital-baltics-cracks-under-weight-of-pandemic/

Theme music by Kaiolyn: https://youtu.be/arD4tfzH3U0

Stuart Garlick and Maris Hellrand discuss the new Estonian government, look at the prospects for cooperation in a Reform-Centre Party coalition, and examine the agenda for Kaja Kallas and her team.

Theme music by Kaiolyn: https://youtu.be/arD4tfzH3U0

Stuart Garlick and Maris Hellrand sort through the bin-fire that was 2020 for any traces of potential optimism to take forward to 2021, also discussing the Estonian response to the coronavirus second wave, the state of the opposition parties, and the possible marriage referendum.

Theme music by Kaiolyn: https://youtu.be/arD4tfzH3U0

Stuart Garlick and Maris Hellrand discuss Tallinn's recent unsuccessful bid to be European Green Capital, and the city's green credentials, with urban expert Pärtel-Peeter Pere, in the final episode of Season 1 of the podcast - Season 2 is coming soon.

Theme music by Kaiolyn: https://youtu.be/arD4tfzH3U0

Stuart Garlick and Maris Hellrand are joined by musician and songwriter Kadri Voorand, who discusses inspirational composer Veljo Tormis, who would have been 90 this year, and his importance to modern Estonia.

Music: Veljo Tormis, 'Ära Löö Noorikut' - Viljandi Vibes Live Sessions, originally filmed for YouTube, performed by Estonian Voices in 2016. Used under licence courtesy of Maris Aljaste and Linda Liis Eek formerly of Viljandi Vibes.

Stuart Garlick and Maris Hellrand talk to Mike Collier, a journalist based in Latvia, about the country's coronavirus response, why it has a lower infection rate than Estonia or Lithuania, and the Baltic reaction to protests in Belarus.

Theme music by Kaiolyn: https://youtu.be/arD4tfzH3U0

Stuart Garlick and Maris Hellrand talk to climate activist Kertu Birgit Anton, as the three of them discuss what goes into a memorable and meaningful campaign in 2020 in the wake of protests in Belarus, and Michelle Obama's speech about campaigning to the Democratic National Convention.

Theme music by Kaiolyn: https://youtu.be/arD4tfzH3U0

Stuart Garlick and Maris Hellrand talk to Priit Tohver, E-services Development and Innovation Policy Adviser for the Ministry of Social Affairs, who among other tasks is one of the leads for the Estonian contact tracing app, Hoia, due to be released on 20 August on iOS and Android. The app has been slow in development, and they look into reasons for this.

They also talk to SALTO 'Hack the Virus' Hackathon winner Sophie Wharrie, whose team developed a contact tracing app in the Estonian tech event, but whose experience was not used by the government in spite of an offer allegedly being made by her team. She discusses the need for reliable contact tracing in all countries. Sophie's Medium article: https://medium.com/the-innovation/beyond-the-contact-tracing-app-fd6930a4c934

Theme music by Kaiolyn: https://youtu.be/arD4tfzH3U0