As Finnish socialists and democrats meet this weekend to discuss Finland’s NATO membership, the S&D Group will also be in Helsinki to host an event on Finland, NATO and the EU as part of a series of wrap-up debates for the Conference on the Future of Europe.

On Saturday 14 May, S&D MEPs Miapetra Kumpula-Natri and Eero Heinäluoma will host citizens to debate democracy, the rule of law, climate change and security policy with Finland’s Minister of European Affairs Tytti Tuppurainen, Finalnd’s Undersecretary of the Ministry of Defence, Esa Pulkkinen and S&D vice-president and former Polish Prime Minister, Marek Belka MEP.

If you would like to follow the event in person at the Paasitornissa, Helsinki, please register here. You can follow the event live on the S&D website and contribute to the debate on the #Progressives4Europe platform.

Any journalists interested in the event should contact Ewan.Macphee@europarl.europa.eu and Rosamari.Rissanen@europarl.europa.eu.

Ahead of the event this weekend, Miapetra Kumpula-Natri, Head of the Finnish S&D MEPs in the European Parliament, said:

“A destructive, brutal war on the European soil in 2022 is something none of us ever hoped to witness. A united, strong EU must stand in support for Ukraine as they fight to defend their democratic rights and freedom. In the middle of this crisis, the European parliament has played a central role in shaping the future of the EU so that solidarity, unity and fairness will be at the heart of our union. The EU can do so much for the security of our societies, especially in cyber security and working against hybrid threats.”

Eero Heinäluoma, S&D MEP and Member of the S&D Bureau, said:

“This weekend, while Finnish socialists and democrats meet in Helsinki to take a position on Finland’s role in NATO, we will be in Helsinki to have a broader debate on Finland and the future of Europe with all citizens. The roadmap for the future of Europe being debated in the EU right now gives us hope that we can overcome the challenges each and every Member State faces today. But as we decide on our future, it is essential to work continuously to cherish Europe’s unity and listening to citizens’ voices is an important part of the process.”