Finnish PM’s First Visit to Estonia
Finland’s new prime minister Sanna Marin made her first official visit to Estonia on January 10. Marin met with Prime Minister Jüri Ratas at Stenbock House on Toompea Hill where they spoke at a joint press conference. It was Marin’s first official visit to Estonia and the second official visit she has made as prime minister after being sworn into office in December. Her first visit was to Sweden earlier last week.
Estonian Digital Nomad Visa in the Works
The government supported a bill on January 16 to amend the Aliens Act 2009 to create a digital visa which would allow people who work flexibly between countries to stay and work in Estonia. Estonia is one of the first countries in the world to design a visa for remote workers. Digital nomads are people who work simultaneously in different countries while traveling around the world. This is a popular option in professions such as IT, finance or marketing.
Bringing Physical Activity Back to Recess
At the end of 2019, the project “Vahetund.ee” (recess.ee) was launched to provide schools in Estonia with jump elastics and footbags (hacky sacks), so that students, stiff from sitting in 45-minute long classes, would be able to stretch and move. More than 70 schools have already joined Vahetund.ee. Unlike in North America (and Finland), there is no tradition of outdoor recess in most Estonian schools, especially urban schools without enclosed schoolyards. Time between classes in minimal and you are not allowed to run indoors.
People Still Have ca 44 Million Euros in Estonian Kroons
Even though the euro has been the currency in Estonia since January 1, 2011, people still have around 44 million euros in Estonian kroons in their possession and every week visitors come to Eesti Pank to exchange their kroons for euros. The Museum of Eesti Pank accepts kroons to this day.
