EU 'digital summit' upstaged by Germany and Brexit

Brussels : A summit of European Union leaders in Estonia intended to chart out a digital future for the continent is set to be upstaged by less utopian issues including Brexit and the unexpected rise of the far right in Germany.

The EU's 28 leaders, including British Prime Minister Theresa May, are to meet for two days in Tallinn starting Thursday to discuss how Europe can more efficiently transform to the digital age.

Estonia, which holds the EU's six-month rotating presidency, bills itself as the avant-garde of the digital revolution and called the talks to help bring the rest of the bloc up to speed.

Instead, the national leaders are expected to focus on the next steps for the EU over the coming years, after the shock of Britain's vote to leave the bloc and the lingering presence of populism in the continent.

At a dinner on Thursday, the leaders will be given an open forum for a "frank and informal" discussion, EU President Donald Tusk said in a letter inviting them to the meeting.