Prime Minister Orpo to open Europe Day programme at Oodi

Prime Minister Petteri Orpo will open the traditional Europe Day events at the Helsinki Central Library Oodi on Friday 9 May. Along with Prime Minister Orpo, Minister for European Affairs and Ownership Steering Joakim Strand will speak at a seminar celebrating Finland’s 30 years as an EU Member State.

According to Prime Minister Orpo, Finland has been actively involved in building a more secure, unified and influential Europe since its first day of membership.

“Finland’s decision to join the European Union was based, above all, on values. With our accession, we made a choice to defend our fundamental values: democracy, justice, the rule of law and respect for common rules,” said Prime Minister Orpo.

Other speakers at the seminar will include Vice-President of the European Commission Henna Virkkunen, former and current MEPs, EU policy experts, researchers and journalists. The discussions will take place on the third floor of Oodi on the Saarikoski art rug. Several event organisers and other associations will also have stands on the first floor of the building.

This year’s Europe Day programme will focus on work and traineeship opportunities for Finns in various positions within the European Union. Minister Strand will deliver the opening words at the “EU, here we come!” panel discussion on EU recruitment. In the discussions, public officials who have worked in Brussels and young people who have taken part in EU traineeships will talk about their experiences.

There will also be other programming at Oodi on Europe Day, including musical performances by students from Tapiola Upper Secondary School, an animal-themed sing-along at Playground Loru and the opening of Ukrainian photographer Kateryna Mostova’s exhibition ‘Unveiled Ukraine’.

The Europe Day events will continue on Saturday 10 May, when Finland celebrates three decades of EU membership at the Tampere Central Square. Europe Day events will also be held in several other locations in Finland.

Europe Day is celebrated on 9 May, marking the anniversary of the declaration put forth by French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman in 1950. The joint French-West German proposal led to the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community. The Schuman Declaration is considered the foundation of the European Union as we know it.

Inquiries: Juuso Kilpinen, Special Adviser to the Prime Minister in EU Affairs, tel. +358 50 322 9636, Alexander Lång, Special Adviser to the Minister for European Affairs, tel. +358 295 160 866 and Marko Ruonala, Chief Communications Specialist, tel. +358 50 522 8233, Prime Minister’s Office.