The first speaker was the Norwegian Ambassador to Finland, Wegger Christian Strømmen. He discussed the challenges and opportunities for collaboration in the Nordics, emphasising that relations between the Nordic countries are the best they’ve ever been. With Finland and Sweden joining NATO, the ties with Norway have grown stronger.
– Anything that is good for Sweden and Finland, is also good for Norway, Strømmen noted.
Norwegian Ambassador to Finland, Wegger Christian Strømmen, emphasised that relations between the Nordic countries are the best they’ve ever been.
Civil Preparedness as a Military Interest
Niklas Eklund, Professor at the Department of Political Science at Umeå University, discussed Nordic and Arctic Security, but he also touched upon the growing issue of disinformation. Eklund pointed out that the main reason why both Finland and Sweden wanted to join NATO was military defence. However, now that they are members, they must also follow NATO’s Article 3, which concerns civil defence and preparedness.
Eklund has studied whether people read and believe fake news, and according to his research, conducted in Sweden and Norway, older people are better at critical thinking than younger people. He emphasised the importance of being clear about where reliable information can be found and why it can be trusted, particularly educating the youth.
– We need to talk about how we are going to bring our citizens closer to each other and improve their understanding of what is true and false. That’s a military interest, Eklund emphasised.
Niklas Eklund, Professor at the Department of Political Science at Umeå University, discussed Nordic and Arctic Security, but he also touched upon the growing issue of disinformation.
Plan B for the Nordics
Risto E. J. Penttilä, CEO of Nordic West Office, delivered a presentation on the topic “Plan B for the Nordics”. He explained that Plan B relates to who will be elected as the next president of the United States and how the Nordics should prepare for it.
Both Republicans and Democrats prioritise “America first”, which affects Europe. Combining Nordic forces makes a lot of sense, which is why Penttilä believes it would be a good idea to build a Nordic block within NATO.
– The Plan B is about Europe needing to focus more on its own security, Penttilä explained.
Risto E. J. Penttilä, CEO of Nordic West Office, explained that Europe needs to focus more on its own security.
Watch the recording of the event HERE.
Read the other text about our event during Wasa Future Festival HERE.