Linna Seminar 2018 took place on 17-19 August at the beautiful Haikko Manor in Porvoo, bringing together young people from all over Finland along with, of course, the experts themselves, who crowned the event with speeches that sparked both thoughts and questions.
The first day kicked off with participants arriving in high spirits, and the seminar’s opening soon began under the leadership of JEF Finland President Tuomas Tikkanen. After warmly welcoming everyone, Tikkanen introduced to the stage the CEO of the Finland Chamber of Commerce, Juho Romakkaniemi. Romakkaniemi emphasised the important role of criticism in developing the EU, as well as the Union’s historic significance above all as a builder of positive values, summing up the key point: ”The EU and its membership are not something to be taken for granted”.
Romakkaniemi’s point served as a fitting lead-in to the speech by Milttion’s Lotta Nymann-Lindegren, who got listeners thinking about the United Kingdom’s future plans and how these relate to the EU once it is no longer a member state. After the speeches, discussions about Europe continued over dinner and drinks, though many headed off early to recharge for Saturday’s most exciting moments.
Saturday
After a hearty breakfast and relaxation at Haikko’s Yorokobi Spa, participants were in a keen and energetic mood for the day’s varied programme. The programme kicked off with a speech on history by SDP Party Secretary Antton Rönnholm, who cleverly also offered practical tips both for moving more smoothly and for improving the world: ”The yoga of democracy doesn’t work by looking in the mirror – you have to feel the movement, not just see it.”
Rönnholm’s speech was followed by the seminar’s headline speaker, the United Kingdom’s Ambassador to Finland, Tom Dodd. His speech offered unique perspectives on both Brexit and the possible future direction of the UK and Europe: in Brexit it would be important to find a balance between responsibilities and rights, since the United Kingdom is not leaving Europe, even though it is leaving the EU. The ambassador, of course, did not go home empty-handed, but received – like the other seminar guests – the legendary EU bucket and its unique contents as a token of thanks.
After lunch, Emma Hakala of the Finnish Institute of International Affairs summed up the link between climate change and security in her speech: ”Does climate change cause conflicts? In my view, this isn’t a question of either/or.” The day’s speeches were closed by Minister for European Affairs Sampo Terho, who raised a variety of topics and offered his perspective on the current subject of Brexit, reminding listeners of its underlying causes and noting that it did not arise out of nowhere.
Next up was the seminar’s most electric segment, a panel of political youth organisations, which raised the energy among both the audience and the panellists themselves. The panellists were pleasantly surprised to find that on some topics, young people’s shared ground was stronger than their differences.
Saturday continued with an elegant gala dinner, where, after three courses, satisfied participants were treated to a stomach-tickling surprise when stand-up comedian James MacDonald took to the stage and, with his bold humour, lifted the mood all the way up to the expensive ceiling lights. Last but certainly not least, the evening was crowned by the traditional late-night adventure on a nearby jetty, where there was music, great conversations and, above all, a live show of twinkling stars to enjoy.
Sunday
The final day started with an info-blast on the Facted Up EU project from Mikko Kymäläinen and Aku Aarva of Eurooppalainen Suomi. The day continued with Juho Mäki-Lohiluoma’s analysis of the European movement ahead of the upcoming elections, which included some exciting possible scenarios. Next up was JEF Finland’s very own Vice President Iiris Asunmaa, presenting the inspiring themes for the coming year, such as climate change, international security, and economic and social challenges. The topic continued with former JEF Finland activist and current Special Adviser on EU Affairs to the Minister of Finance, Elisa Tarkiainen, who also managed to present the EU budget to the audience in a genuinely engaging way. Tarkiainen summed up the core idea of economic policy by noting that ”how shared resources are used is a matter of prioritising values.”
The seminar came full circle, closing with President Tikkanen bringing together the weekend’s highlights and sparking roaring applause and eager anticipation for next year’s Linna Seminar. JEF Central Finland thanks everyone for a fantastic seminar and warmly welcomes everyone back next time!
TEXT Amani Al-mehsen and Saija Halme
Pictured: United Kingdom’s Ambassador to Finland Tom Dodd
PHOTO Miia Pakarinen