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How Estonia has avoided EUs economic problems
It currently has the fastest economic growth in the EU, so what is Estonia doing right when other nations are in so much financial trouble?
Eva-Maria Ounapuu is enjoying Estonias boom.
She set up organic cosmetics company JOIK four years ago, turning her candle-making hobby into a business.
She received EU grants for machinery and marketing help, but says the Estonian governments business-friendly agenda helped too: It has been quite easy.
There was no problem with regulations and even finding places to sell has gone quite smoothly.
You can report your taxes online so you dont waste valuable time on forms and things. We dont owe our growth to the government but they havent put any obstacles in our way.
JOIK now employs four people and has moved to bigger premises. It has an annual turnover of 250,000 euros and is starting to export to neighbouring Baltic countries.
It is a similar story for Estonia as a whole, as the country has come a long way since it joined the EU in 2004.
An initial influx of credit led to a construction boom and soaring house prices, but the bubble burst in 2008 and when the country found itself in the financial doldrums, it was forced to smarten up its act.
Labour laws were liberalised, the retirement age increased and public spending cut. But taxes stayed low to encourage business; trendy entrepreneurs were born.
Estonias GDP grew by 8.5% in the first quarter of the year, the fastest growth of any EU economy. One of the biggest growth areas is technology.
Skype the online software used by 200m people every month to make free or cheap video and phone calls over the internet, has its development office on the outskirts of Tallinn.
The software was invented in Tallinn by a Dane, a Swede and four Estonians.
Sten Tankivi, head of Skype in Estonia says: You can view the country of Estonia itself as a start-up. It regained independence just 20 years ago and generally the society or culture here has very little hierarchy.
Its very small and nimble and that sort of environment is very positive for entrepreneurship.
In January Estonia joined the euro. The resultant currency stability, along with those low corporate taxes (zero on reinvested profits), have made this tiny nation of 1.3m a very attractive investment. Exports are soaring and are up 53% on last year. This summer they reached the 1bn euro mark for the first time.
But 70% of exports go to other EU countries and growth is steadily declining in its two major export markets, Finland and Sweden.
So how fragile is Estonias economy?
It is still a net recipient of EU money but its contribution to the European Financial Stability Facility means membership is decreasingly profitable. Its 2bn euro contribution represents a third of the governments annual budget.
We were invited to the wedding party but it turned out to be a funeral, says Andres Arrak, from the Estonian Entrepreneurship University of Applied Science.
Weve had lots of money from the EU.
Weve renovated churches and roads. But now were being asked to put money in to improve mistakes made in the past in Greece and other eurozone countries.
It makes no sense. We should be investing in Estonias future.
But Estonias Prime Minister Andrus Ansip remains confident its growth will continue: Of course we all have to be worried but our banking sector is doing well, our commercial banks are well capitalised and have quite remarkable reserves.
State finances are in the best shape of any in the European Union because we still have 12% GDP reserves.
So yes, of course we understand what the credit crisis means, but in Estonia its not a hot topic for us.
Mr Ansip admits he has a hard task explaining why Estonia, the poor Eastern cousin, fresh out of troubled times itself, should bail out its richer Southern cousins.
But support for the EU is unwavering among young Estonians relaxing over a glass of wine in one of Tallinns fashionable new bars, Museum Lounge.
Memories of Soviet occupation, which only ended 20 years ago, are still fresh among the younger generation.
Ali is a school teacher who says she fully supports Estonias contribution to the Greek bailout.
I dont even understand what the discussion is about. Weve been receiving a lot of money from the EU so now its a good thing that finally were in a position to help someone else. I think its only fair.
Museum Lounge manager, Argo, agrees. Estonia is looking West now, only West, he says.
And Estonia is willing to pay the price.
The World Tonight is broadcast weekdays on BBC Radio 4 at 22:00 BST.
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