Helen Milner OBE’s message was disarmingly simple: you can build the slickest online government in the world and still fail—if a meaningful share of citizens can’t afford connectivity, lacks basic skills, or doesn’t trust the digital channel. Speaking from the UK experience of both Government Digital Service (GDS) and her work leading Good Things Foundation, Milner framed digital inclusion as the missing operating system for digital government: not a “nice-to-have” social add-on, but a prerequisite for better services, stronger trust, and measurable economic gains
Romania has high-speed internet, rapid technology adoption, and a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem, but it faces a lack of skills, trust, and a shared reality.
In this conversation, Bianca Oanea, Elena Calistru, and Răzvan Rughiniș explore why simply publishing data is not enough, how education and practice can reduce digital polarization, and what role universities, government, and civil society can play in rebuilding the social contract in an algorithmic world.
Over 70% of Romanians consider digitalization a good thing, but almost 85% say that the pace of state digitalization is slow or very slow. Based on recent sociological data, the discussion brings to the forefront the tension between citizens’ expectations, institutional blockages and the need for a clear strategic direction for Romania.
Ciugud has become a landmark in the digitalization of local public administration. Gheorghe Damian explains the concrete steps through which a rural commune moved from paper bureaucracy to digital services accessible to all.
What does a digital public service that works mean, in concrete terms? Not promises, not presentations, but real experiences for citizens.
In this panel, leaders in public administration from Romania and the Republic of Moldova discuss how to build citizen-centric public services, from digital criminal records to tax payment, interoperability and experience design. An honest conversation about what worked, what was difficult and what can be replicated on a national scale.
At the Digital Governance Summit 2025, ministers, Google and eMAG debated the critical directions for Romania’s digital transformation: coordinated leadership, data infrastructure, digital literacy and public-private partnership. A direct discussion about the bottlenecks, solutions and opportunities ahead.
The dialogue between Radu Puchiu and Nicușor Dan, held within the Digital Governance Summit organized by Edge Institute, addressed three central themes for Romania’s modern sovereignty: defense capacity, relationship with the diaspora, and strengthening the state through digital mechanisms. The discussion started from the country’s new defense strategy and how technology accelerates global changes, including through risks such as disinformation and information attacks.
A dialogue about the strategic directions of Romania’s digitalization, with Oana Gheorghiu and Mihai Jurca. The discussion addresses government coordination, process reform, data infrastructure, digital inclusion and the need for trust between the state and citizens.
Estonia emerged from 50 years of Soviet and Nazi occupation in a state of deep poverty. When independence was restored, even fundamental government functions struggled — as Toomas Hendrik Ilves recalls, during his time as Estonia’s first ambassador to the United States, he sometimes would not be paid. Yet historical data revealed something striking: according […]
Note This article is a written version of the presentation delivered by Janusz Cieszyński at the Digital Governance Summit, organized by the Edge Institute under the High Patronage of the President of Romania. With the author’s permission, the text has been processed with the support of AI technology to improve structure and readability, while fully […]
Helen Milner OBE’s message was disarmingly simple: you can build the slickest online government in the world and still fail—if a meaningful share of citizens can’t afford connectivity, lacks basic skills, or doesn’t trust the digital channel. Speaking from the UK experience of both Government Digital Service (GDS) and her work leading Good Things Foundation, Milner framed digital inclusion as the missing operating system for digital government: not a “nice-to-have” social add-on, but a prerequisite for better services, stronger trust, and measurable economic gains 
Romania has high-speed internet, rapid technology adoption, and a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem, but it faces a lack of skills, trust, and a shared reality.
In this conversation, Bianca Oanea, Elena Calistru, and Răzvan Rughiniș explore why simply publishing data is not enough, how education and practice can reduce digital polarization, and what role universities, government, and civil society can play in rebuilding the social contract in an algorithmic world. 
Over 70% of Romanians consider digitalization a good thing, but almost 85% say that the pace of state digitalization is slow or very slow. Based on recent sociological data, the discussion brings to the forefront the tension between citizens’ expectations, institutional blockages and the need for a clear strategic direction for Romania. 
Ciugud has become a landmark in the digitalization of local public administration. Gheorghe Damian explains the concrete steps through which a rural commune moved from paper bureaucracy to digital services accessible to all. 
What does a digital public service that works mean, in concrete terms? Not promises, not presentations, but real experiences for citizens.
In this panel, leaders in public administration from Romania and the Republic of Moldova discuss how to build citizen-centric public services, from digital criminal records to tax payment, interoperability and experience design. An honest conversation about what worked, what was difficult and what can be replicated on a national scale. 
At the Digital Governance Summit 2025, ministers, Google and eMAG debated the critical directions for Romania’s digital transformation: coordinated leadership, data infrastructure, digital literacy and public-private partnership. A direct discussion about the bottlenecks, solutions and opportunities ahead. 
The dialogue between Radu Puchiu and Nicușor Dan, held within the Digital Governance Summit organized by Edge Institute, addressed three central themes for Romania’s modern sovereignty: defense capacity, relationship with the diaspora, and strengthening the state through digital mechanisms. The discussion started from the country’s new defense strategy and how technology accelerates global changes, including through risks such as disinformation and information attacks. 
A dialogue about the strategic directions of Romania’s digitalization, with Oana Gheorghiu and Mihai Jurca. The discussion addresses government coordination, process reform, data infrastructure, digital inclusion and the need for trust between the state and citizens. 
Estonia emerged from 50 years of Soviet and Nazi occupation in a state of deep poverty. When independence was restored, even fundamental government functions struggled — as Toomas Hendrik Ilves recalls, during his time as Estonia’s first ambassador to the United States, he sometimes would not be paid. Yet historical data revealed something striking: according […] 
Note This article is a written version of the presentation delivered by Janusz Cieszyński at the Digital Governance Summit, organized by the Edge Institute under the High Patronage of the President of Romania. With the author’s permission, the text has been processed with the support of AI technology to improve structure and readability, while fully […]