Fresh from last weekend’s Battle of Ideas in London, the festival now takes its unique brand of ‘public conversations’ on a European tour. We begin on Saturday 31 October in Helsinki. (See the full programme below.)
There’s certainly no shortage of issues to debate, with Finland facing a looming national reckoning: navigating challenges of integration within an economically and socially stagnant European Union, alongside rising geopolitical tensions to the east, and a restless public heading to the polls in April.
One issue is how to pursue Finland’s interests first in the face of international pressures. Economic, energy, defence and immigration challenges increasingly bring domestic priorities into conflict with European Union rules or international treaty obligations. A plan to deploy stringent immigration controls, including asylum processing outside the EU, is just one example of where protecting the national interest is a recurring popular concern. Elsewhere, domestic security concerns dictating the need for new anti-personnel mines led to Finland’s recent withdrawal from the UN-sponsored Ottawa Convention that bans them. Our debate on national sovereignty could not be more timely.
Further controversial plans on immigration are reigniting debate over cultural traditions and citizenship. New proposals demand that all applicants for citizenship pass tests in either Finnish or Swedish and have a good grasp of Finnish history; the proposals also restrict educational support for teaching immigrant pupils their native language. In a country where languages have frequently been the focus of impassioned public debates, including long-running struggles between the dominant Finnish and historically privileged Swedish languages, we’ll look at the re-emergence of linguistic conflicts and the culture wars in the debate on the battles over language.
Finland, like its Nordic neighbours, has been widely praised for free speech – but many now worry about a sharp pivot away from that openness. For example, there’s the now-notorious prosecution (currently being appealed) of Finnish MP Päivi Räsänen for ‘agitation against a minority group’ over expressing traditional biblical views on marriage and sexuality. Our panel of international experts will ask 'should we have the right to be offensive?’ and we also bring together organisations, activists and public intellectuals to assess how best to pioneer a Europe-wide fight for free speech and open debate.
A series of seemingly disparate national crises – from the cost of living to welfare costs, economic modernisation to the role of the state – is calling into question not just the future of the coalition government that includes the populist Finns Party, but prospects for an entire younger generation. According to the Youth Barometer, young people’s life satisfaction is currently at a record low. Young representatives from parties across the political spectrum – including Christian Democratic Party, Social Democratic Youth, Finns Party Youth, National Coalition Party and The Left Youth – will debate whether Gen Z is becoming a lost generation.
One significant issue is that the technological innovations that might boost the economy are proving controversial, including the decision by Google to invest at least €13 billion in Finland over 2027 and 2028 as it expands infrastructure for artificial intelligence and other core services. Yet Google is running up against demonstrations against forest clearances linked to planned data centres in Muhos and Kajaani. More broadly, many worry that too little thought has been given to the long-term social and philosophical problems caused by the arrival of AI. Our panel of experts will debate the dystopian and utopian visions for these new technologies, asking if AI is changing everything.
All these pressure points seem to feed an appetite for political change, with the governing coalition seeing its support erode. After a disappointing result in the 2024 European Parliament elections, many wonder whether the populist Finns Party has had its day or whether it can continue to draw support in the face of anxieties over national identity and security. With populism often blamed for everything that is wrong with politics and society, and used as a weapon to dismiss movements and demands that challenge accepted views or unsettle those in power, our panel of UK and Finnish experts takes a step back to consider whether populism is democracy’s enemy or if it expresses something central to the democratic spirit?
With so much to discuss, the inaugural Battle of Ideas Helsinki is timely. Spread the word and make sure to join this full day of panel discussions featuring a diverse line-up of speakers from Finland and across Europe who tackle the most important political, social and cultural issues of our times.
BATTLE OF IDEAS HELSINKI / AATOSTEN TAISTO
Saturday 31 October · 11:30 – 19:30
Balderin sali, Aleksanterinkatu 12, 00170 Helsinki
PROGRAMME
Populism: giving the people a voice?
War on words? The battles over language
Dystopia versus Utopia: is AI changing everything?
Meet the authors: Eric Kaufmann and Frank Furedi on cultural renewal
Europe’s free-speech crisis: launching the fightback
GenZ: the lost generation?
Independence: does the nation state still matter?
Free speech: should we have the right to be offensive?
TICKETS
Full Price: €12.50
To buy a ticket, please click here.
FIND OUT MORE
Visit the Battle of Ideas Helsinki page for full details of sessions and speakers.
Battle of Ideas Helsinki is organised by Academy of Ideas
in association with Suomalaisuuden Liitto
