Avainsana: Pääkaupungin Wanhat Toverit

Julkaistu

ESTONIAN – FINNISH MEETING OF SOCIAL DEMOCRAT VETERANS STRONGLY SUPPORTIVE OF THE EU

The one-day meeting was attended by Estonian social democratic veterans from all parts of the country. The ten Finnish participants represented the two Wanhat Toverit social democratic veterans’ associations in Helsinki as well as the national association.
Liisa Jaakonsaari, former member of the European Parliament, commented the EU from the Finnish point of view.

Brexit has helped convince people that the benefits of being part of the European Union are indeed important.

Today popular support for the EU is growing almost everywhere. As global structures and rules are under pressure it is important that the EU preserves its unity as a community for peace and freedom.

The European Union was a central subject when social democratic veteran politicians, civil servants and full-time reps from Estonia and Finland met yesterday (Wednesday 11.9.) in the Estonian capital Tallinn. From Finland, a small group representing the Suomen Wanhat Toverit association participated.

Main speaker from our side was Ms Liisa Jaakonsaari who recently retired from the European Parliament and did not stand for re-election. She was member of the Finnish parliament and Minister of Labour. For the Estonian participants, Mr Ivari Padar gave a presentation. He is Member of the European Parliament and former Minister of Finance, Minister of Agriculture and former chairman of the Estonian Social Democratic Party.

The speakers said that it is regrettable that there are EU Member States which want to break down basic European values. The rule of law, freedom of the press, academic freedoms and human rights are being violated in countries like Poland and Hungary. It is unacceptable that common values are not respected.

Responding to wishes from the European Parliament and European Commission, the Finnish EU Presidency is keeping these issues high on its agenda, Liisa Jaakonsaari told participants.

Growing right-wing populism was an important subject at this Estonian-Finnish social democratic get-together. Estonian Member of Parliament (Riigikogu) Ms Heljo Pikhof told about the many incidents where the top leaders of the populist EKRE party have been attacking the country’s democratic institutions. The Estonian Presidency and the person of President Kersti Kaljulaid have not been spared, but on the contrary been given special attention. This the EKRE leaders have done even from their present positions as members of a conservative coalition government. The social democrats positioned themselves strongly against EKRE in this year’s parliamentary elections but had to see their numbers go down.

Speakers and other participants stressed the need to actively present democratic alternatives to many of the concrete questions that the right-wing populists have chosen for their agendas. It was suggested that this could be one of the important subjects when the Estonian and Finnish social democrats develop their cooperation further.

Mr Kari Salmi’s presentation of the new left-centre government in Finland as well as the ongoing Finnish health care reforms raised much interest among the Estonian participants. He is chair of the national association that brings together social democratic veteran activists, Suomen Wanhat Toverit. In the lively discussion that followed we could see both the many similarities between Estonian and Finnish approaches as well as important differences.

Walking to the Tallinn mansion that housed our meeting we had the opportunity to visit the new monument raised in remembrance of the Estonian victims of communism and communist state terror. It gave a strong impression to go up the hill between two gigantic walls of black stone with all the names of the 12,256 people deported in 1940-41, 11,080 politically imprisoned or murdered 1940-43, 35,472 deported 1944-53 including those 32,990 deported in 1949, and the 49,347 politically imprisoned or murdered between 1944 and 1991.

Speakers and participants in the discussion stressed the need to actively present democratic alternatives to many of the concrete questions that right-wing populists have chosen for their agendas. It was suggested that this could be one of the important common subjects when the Estonian and Finnish social democrats develop their further cooperation.

With two former Finnish Ambassadors to Estonia, Mr Jaakko Blomberg (2001 to 2005) and Mr Jaakko Kalela (2005 – 2010) as members in our group we were well briefed about the political backgrounds.

I participated in the meeting as president of one of the two veteran social democratic activists association of the Finnish capital Helsinki, Pääkaupungin Wanhat Toverit.

Julkaistu

FINLAND’s FORMER PRIME MINISTER PAAVO LIPPONEN DISCUSSES EUROPEAN INTEGRATION AND FOREIGN POLICY WITH HELSINKI SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC VETERANS

Highly interesting discussion today ( 3 September 2019 ) when Finland’s former Prime Minister and Speaker of Parliament Paavo Lipponen visited the social democratic veterans association which I am president of. His role in bringing our country into the core of European Union integration was absolutely crucial. Today some 50 of us former full time activists listened attentively to his analysis of the truly fateful years for Europe and the world that we are living through now.

Paavo Lipponen covered much subject matter in what was almost a lecture, from the rise of authoritarian rule and the hardened global climate over growing inequality, the spread of anti-semitism and racism, concluding with the need for an intensified cooperation within the European Union. The EU needs to play a stronger role. Further strengthening of the European monetary union EMU is part of the necessary measures.

There was a clear consensus in our group that we cannot just stand on the side-lines and watch extreme right wing groups and ideologies spread in different parts and countries of Europe. We have to take the lead away from these circles on issues where they are now allowed to dominate. This calls for speaking fearlessly out for our own values and standing up to these dangerous movements that are putting humanity and democracy at risk.

Almost 50 years have gone from when Paavo Lipponen often took the same city bus as I did, on the way to our neighbouring offices in Hakaniemi-Hagnäs in Helsinki. At times Paavo came on board of Bus 17 two stops after mine and we could have a brief chat during these 15 minutes on the road. It was fun to refresh the memories of far back early morning rides – we both indeed left very early for work.

When I welcomed Paavo Lipponen and told our friends that in my view, he did play a historical role in securing Finland as a European western democracy with a Nordic welfare state orientation there was clearly a broad agreement in the room. Here I believe he has placed himself alongside some of our most important social democratic leaders of the 20th Century, such as Väinö Tanner, Karl-August Fagerholm and Mauno Koivisto.

Julkaistu

TACKLING MARGINALISATION AND IMPROVING EDUCATION AMONG IMPORTANT EU TASKS, ERKKI LIIKANEN TOLD FINNISH SOCIAL DEMOCRAT VETERANS

Ilona Lahdelma and Erkki Liikanen being interviewed by Kari Salmi, President of Suomen Wanhat Toverit
Erkki Liikanen
Social democrat veterans met in Jyväskylä in August 2019

We may not be the youngest but we surely have our sights set on the future. And also some really great memories that came back again, from my student activist days in the late 1960’s. Nice moments with old friends and colleagues.

So I am back today from a two-day meeting of the Finnish social democrat veterans association, Suomen Wanhat Toverit. Three hundred we were who came together in Jyväskylä in central Finland on 24 – 25 August 2019. This is an association that brings us together, mostly at local monthly meetings, but every two years at these larger national events. I am an active member there, chairing one of the two local organisations in the Finnish capital, Pääkaupungin Wanhat Toverit.

We met at the Jyväskylä Workers’ Hall, one of the early works of famous Finnish architect Alvar Aalto. Here we were treated to two exceptional presentations about the future of European democracy.

During his long career in politics, Erkki Liikanen was Finance Minister, Member of the European Commission and then Governor of the national bank, and much more. This gives him a unique vantage point on how democracy in Finland, Europe and the world has developed through many periods of challenge and turmoil. In his highly interesting and engaging presentation he raised major challenges but also pointed at positive developments in Europe and the European Union. Tackling marginalisation and improving education have to be among the important tasks on the agenda. The support for the European Union is stronger than ever in many member states which is also a cause for optimism.

Young political scientist Ilona Lahdelma who is working on her doctoral thesis at Oxford University complemented Erkki Liikanens lecture in a way which opened up the subject of democracy itself and offered an attempt to a scientific analysis of some main trends on the European political scene. Her views on how traditional political divides have changed all over Europe was highly interesting. We were also very attentively listening to how political movements must take account of the effects of the new media landscape on voters’ expectations and behaviour.

Meeting old colleagues and friends is a major function of these conferences. All of us have been active in different professional or political roles within the social democratic labour movement. At a dinner which the City of Jyväskylä invited us to old friendships were confirmed in a very pleasant atmosphere. Once again I could feel the benefits of being this pretty small country where our relations tend to be so uncomplicated.

I enjoyed particularly much my long chat with Erkki Liikanen on the train to Jyväskylä. Upstairs in the café wagon it was nice and quiet, almost empty, except for us laughing now and then to some of the common memories from our youth years. Fifty years back we both worked together in the national secondary school student’s organisation Suomen Teiniliitto. This was the central point for Finnish student activism in the late 1960’s – we were in fact often more active and radical than the university students’ associations.

For the first time I heard – I think – Erkki telling me that I was the first Swedish-speaking Finn whom he had ever met. His home town was Mikkeli, in south-eastern Finland, a completely Finnish-speaking region.

We did of course talk about many other things and about today’s world, but this flashback that brought up many nice and even funny incidents and memories was really enjoyable. I could of course write page up and page down on what we were up to during those wild 60’s, maybe I soon will…

Julkaistu

Erkki Tuomioja Pääkaupungin Wanhojen Toverien kokouksessa

Ulko- ja turvallisuuspolitiikan ydinkysymyksistä vallitsee Suomessa poliittisten päätöksentekijöiden keskuudessa yleensä laaja yksimielisyys. Yhtä kärkevää vastakkainasettelua ja riitaisuuttakin ei ole nähty kuin mitä päättyvällä eduskuntakaudella on monien muiden asioiden ympärillä koettu. Poikkeuksiakin on, mutta maamme ulkopoliittisen peruslinjan tuki on pysynyt vakaana ja vankkana.

Tiistaina 2 huhtikuuta 2019 keskustelivat Pääkaupungin Wanhat Toverit pitkäaikaisen kansanedustajan ja korkealle arvostetun entisen ulkoministerin Erkki Tuomiojan kanssa suomalaisen ulko- ja turvallisuuspolitiikan ydinkysymyksistä. Niin alustuksessa kuin sitä seuranneessa vilkkaassa keskustelussakin liikuttiin kansainvälisen kehityksen laajalla kentällä.

Ei tämä sitä merkitse etteivät eduskuntavaalit tai Euro-vaalit vaikuttaisi myös ulko- ja turvallisuuspolitiikkaan. On sillä paljonkin merkitystä miltä pohjalta Suomea eduskuntavaalien jälkeen johdetaan ja kuinka maatamme edustetaan myös Europan parlamentissa ja EU:n muissa päätöselimissä.

Pääkaupungin Wanhojen Toverien keskustelussa näkyi selvästi kuinka merkittävää sosialidemokraattien tärkeinä pitämien arvojen ja asioiden kannalta on että vaalitulos on SDP:n osalta hyvä. Nykyisessä maailmantilanteessa jossa niin usein kyseenalaistetaan koko monenkeskeinen sääntöpohjainen yhteistyöjärjestelmä korostuu Euroopan Unionin mutta myös Suomen kaltaisten vakaiden ja sotilaallisesti liittoutumattomien maiden merkitys.

Luonnollisesti myös ilmastonmuutoksesta ja muista polttavista ympäristökysymyksistä käytiin kokouksessa keskustelua ja painotettiin konkreettisten toimenpiteiden merkitystä ja kiireellisyyttäkin.

Monissa puheenvuoroissa korostettiin että myös monilla ulko- ja turvallisuuspolitiikan alueilla tulisi Suomen voida toimia entistä aktiivisemmin vaalien jälkeisenä aikana.

Kehitysyhteistyön määrärahojen asteittaisesta palauttamisesta kunnialliselle tasolle ollaan jo suuressa osassa puoluekenttäämme yksimielisiä. Perussuomalaiset jotka sittemmin osittain sinistyivät pystyivät pakottamaan nämä kehitysyhteistyövarat vahvasti alas hintana Sipilän hallituksen eriarvoisuutta kasvattavan ja yhteiskunnan palveluja heikentävän politiikan tukemiselle.

Aseriisuntaa kosketeltiin monessakin yhteydessä ja Suomelta perättiin entistäkin vahvempaa panosta maailmaa uhkaavan varustelukierteen katkaisemiseksi. Tässä viitattiin myös siihen että mm. liittyminen YK:ssa neuvoteltuun ydinaseiden täyskieltosopimukseen voisi toimia tähän suuntaan.

Jälleen kerran nähtiin tässä Pääkaupungin Wanhojen Toverien kokouksessa kuinka tärkeitä ulko- ja turvallisuuspoliittiset asiat ovat ja kuinka valmiita ollaan niitä yhdessäkin pohtimaan. Ehkä eduskuntavaalien alla on keskustelu näistä aiheista ollut liiankin laimeata. Toivottavasti pian seuraaviin EU-vaaleihin valmistauduttaessa tämäkin vilkastuisi.

SDP:lle ja Erkki Tuomiojalle toivottiin ja toivotettiin tietysti hyvää vaalimenestystä ja alleviivattiin kuinka tärkeää tämä viimeisten viikkojen vaalityö nyt on.

Jan Furstenborg