The future of EU and Finland, as well as Ukraine, are strongly featured in the program of the Europe Forum

– The Turku Europe Forum is the most important forum for our national EU debate. There has rarely been a more relevant moment to discuss the direction of Finland`s EU policy and the future of Europe than now, says the Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin. 

With the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, rising energy, raw material and consumer prices, as well as accelerating inflation, Finland and Europe are going through a rough transition. On Thursday 25 August both domestic and international top names will participate in the Europe in the World Day program. There will be e.g., greetings from the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, and the Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jan Lipavský, a speech by the Minister for European Affairs and Ownership Steering Tytti Tuppurainen, about EU decision-making by the government, and a speech by Hosuk Lee-Makiyama, director of the European think tank ECIPE (European Center for International Political Economy) about the development between the economic regions of Europe, the United States and China.  

EU countries' ambassadors have been especially invited to Europe in the World Day program on 25 August because of its international program content. The Ambassador of Ukraine to Finland, Olga Dibrova, will participate in the program of the Europe Forum throughout Thursday, 25 August. The French ambassador to Finland, Agnès Cukierman, the Czech ambassador to Finland, Adam Vojtěch, and the British ambassador to Finland, Theresa Bubbear, will also participate in the Forum. 

The day ends with a special Ukraine event, where the ambassadors of the previous EU presidency, France, and the current presidency, the Czech Republic, Cukierman and Vojtěch, comment on the relationship between Ukraine and the EU. In addition, Undersecretary of State Kai Sauer from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs comments on the emerging questions from Finland's perspective. 

At the end of the event, the cities of Turku and Kharkiv will sign a twin city agreement. 

– Ukraine is part of Europe. Russia's brutal war of aggression in Ukraine has turned Europe into a new political and economic position. The war has a significant impact on the politics, economy and energy supply of the whole Europe – not to mention the human suffering and destruction, says Mayor of Turku Minna Arve. 

– The City of Turku stands strongly behind European values, supporting Ukraine and its democratic development. Establishing a twin city relationship between Turku and Kharkiv is part of this process. The Europe Forum is an excellent place to discuss what all this means for European security, Mayor Arve continues. 

 

Participation is open to everyone on the virtual event platform and on Hansatori in the Speakers’ Corner public event

The Europe Forum's live webcasts are free for everyone to watch in real time via the virtual event page at event.prospectumlive.com/europeforum. The event page opens on August 22. You can participate in the discussion by commenting and asking questions on the event page and on Twitter. All Forum program sections are recorded and can be viewed later on the Europe Forum YouTube.

A new part of the program at the Forum is the public event Speakers' Corner on Friday 26 August at 13-17. Speakers' Corner invites the general public to Turku's Hansa Block ("Hansakortteli") to discuss foreign and security policy, energy and the green transition, and the mental health of young people. The program is open to everyone who arrives on the spot, and, like other program parts of the forum, it is possible to watch afterwards as a recording on the YouTube channel of the Europe Forum. 

The Speakers' Corner program is hosted by Markku Jokisipilä, Director of the Center for Parliamentary Studies at the University of Turku. In the various program sections, the panelists include MEPs Alviina Alametsä, Henna Virkkunen, Miapetra Kumpula-Natri, Nils Torvalds, Sirpa Pietikäinen and Ville Niinistö, as well as Mika Aaltola, Director of the Finnish Institute of International Affairs. 

40 organizers, 30 program sections and almost 200 speakers 

More than 40 separate organizers with more than 30 program sections and almost 200 speakers are participating in the Europe Forum this year. During the three days, topics such as European cooperation and society's resilience, the EU's global role especially in the economy, the changed foreign policy situation both nationally and internationally, and energy and the green transition will be discussed. The theme of the forum is the position of Finland and the EU as part of the changing international order. 

The forum's main event venues are the Radisson Blu Marina Palace hotel and the Turku City Theater as well as a virtual event platform online. Other venues are Hansatori in Turku's Hansa Block and Åbo Akademi's Arken. 

In the Europe Forum, which kicks off Finland's political season, decision-makers, experts and the public participate in high-level discussions. Speakers include Prime Minister Sanna Marin, EU Commissioner Jutta Urpilainen, Minister of Finance Annika Saarikko, Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto, Minister of Employment Tuula Haatainen, Opposition's Petteri Orpo ja Riikka Purra, Minister of Education Li Andersson, President of Sitra Jyrki Katainen, Minister of Defence Antti Kaikkonen, Minister for European Affairs and Ownership steering Tytti Tuppurainen, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Maria Ohisalo, Minister of Economic Affairs Mika Lintilä, Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Ville Skinnari, Minister for Nordic Cooperation and Equality Thomas Blomqvist, MEPs Alviina Alametsä, Mauri Pekkarinen ja Sirpa Pietikäinen, Director of the Finnish Institute of International Affairs Mika Aaltola and Director of Finnish Business and Policy Forum Emilia Kullas. 

>> The entire program of the forum with speakers can be found at europeforum.fi

>> The virtual event platform opens on 22 August at https://event.prospectumlive.com/europeforum

All programs have simultaneous Finnish-English-Finnish interpretation

This year, for those following the Forum's live webcasts and those arriving on site, real-time simultaneous interpretation in Finnish-English-Finnish is available in the program sections of the Radisson Blu Marina Palace Hotel and the Turku City Theater. Simultaneous interpretation is not available at Arken and Hansa Block events. 

Head towards Europe's future and join the Europe Forum on 24–26 August 2022, at europeforum.fi