First Estonian Appointed European Commission Spokesperson
Estonian Vivian Loonela has been appointed European Commission coordinating spokesperson for the environment, maritime affairs and fisheries, public health and food safety. She began work in the spokesperson’s service of the European Commission’s new president Ursula von der Leyen, as the leading spokesperson on Green Deal-related matters.
Estonian Students on Saaremaa Island Scored Highest in the PISA Test
In the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2018 test of 15-year-old learning skills, Estonian school children achieved the best results in Europe in all three categories (reading, math, and science). In addition, the seven schools on the island of Saaremaa who participated in the test, showed the best results in Estonia. The international rankings compare the performan-ce of 15-year-olds across 79 countries and economies, including the 36 OECD member states. Estonia’s overall aggregate score was 1,592 making it the highest placed European country and putting it in fifth place in the league table.
A Christmas Forest Was Opened in Front of the Office of the President
A Christmas “forest”, organized in cooperation with RMK (the State Forest Management Centre), has been opened in Kadrioru Park in front of the Office of the President, where you can read interesting facts about the forest and spruce trees in particular, see this year’s presidential Christmas card and make Christmas decorations filled with good wishes.
Zaza Urushadze, Director of “Tangerines”, Dies at 53
Writer and director Zaza Urushadze, best known for the Estonian-Georgian movie “Tangerines” (“Mandariinid” in Estonian), has died at age 53, according to local reports in the Georgian media. The cause of death is reported to have been a heart attack. “Tangerines” was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 87th Academy Awards.
