Europe Day kicked off this time at Jyväskylä’s Seppä shopping centre, where the Regional Council of Central Finland, an active EU advocate, was also involved. The event at Seppä featured engaging and fun activities for all ages: face painting, balloons, and useful information about the EU, both through handed-out materials and the day’s crowning expert panel. The panel speakers were people from Central Finland representing different levels of government: Henna Virkkunen represented the European Parliament, Tony Melville the municipal level, and Mikko Tiirola the regional level as chair of the regional cooperation group. The trio was joined by JEF Central Finland’s Chair, Saija Halme.
The panel’s themes included both global and local challenges, the EU’s role in developing solutions, and the ways people in Central Finland can influence European policy. Virkkunen succinctly summed up the positives: ”The most important thing is that we have created a shared single market and a unified area within which one can travel and move freely, as well as the democratic values reflected in our work”, a view Tiirola balanced with some mild criticism, commenting on the EU’s weakness when it comes to perspective on both big and small issues. Melville, meanwhile, shared his own view, informed by his own experience: ”In 60 years, the EU has brought peace, stability and even love to Europe, which is an incredibly good thing. If we do have to talk about the bad things, one is Brexit and its realisation, which would be a regressive act”.
Friends from Europe
Discussion of European identity and current European questions was also sparked by JEF Central Finland at Helsinki’s Narinkkatori square and on international waters during a seminar trip to Istanbul, Turkey. In Helsinki’s sunny weather, the programme included speeches from parties and associations, sauna sessions and, of course, the handing out of EU buckets. In Istanbul, meanwhile, Europe Day was celebrated ”world café” style, as delegations from Turkey, Finland, France, Denmark and the Netherlands gathered around tables to discuss topics including immigration, equality and the EU’s security situation.
Both in Istanbul and in Jyväskylä, the day continued into the evening, where we got to know new European friends. In Istanbul, Europe Day culminated in inspiring speeches and admiring the city aboard a small cruise ship, while in Jyväskylä, 26 Europe-minded revellers gathered at the Lillukka clubhouse in Kortepohja for a traditional Finnish ”sitsit” dinner party. At the party, people pitched their visions of Europe’s future and acted out a Brexit play, with those being ”punished” having to swap seats, much like European Parliament members moving between Brussels and Strasbourg.
Europe Day hadn’t been celebrated in Finland on this scale in many years, so it was wonderful to see people taking part with smiles on their faces. The events can be summed up in Saija Halme’s comment during the panel discussion at Seppä: ”For young people, the most important things are the freedom of movement the EU brings, and the security aspect. Open cooperation is always a better option than closing yourself off.” JEF Central Finland thanks all its new friends from around Europe, as well as everyone else who took part in the Europe Day celebrations and seminar. Let’s keep celebrating Europe Day on at least as big a scale in the future!
TEXT Amani Al-mehsen, Iiris Asunmaa, Saija Halme, Miia Pakarinen and Emilia Peikola
PHOTO Sani Suutari
Pictured: Amani Al-mehsen doing face painting