Heartfelt congratulations on your appointment as a Jean Monnet Chair, Hanna Tuominen! This is the first time this position has been secured in the Faculty of Social Sciences. What is the post about and what was the application procedure like?
A Jean Monnet Chair is a three-year teaching post, with a particular focus on European studies. My position is about examining the values of the European Union and challenging them both within the union and in its foreign relations. Chair holders must provide 90 hours of teaching related to their research projects annually. In addition, the implementation of my values-focused project is supported by an excellent group of experts, including Professor Johanna Kantola as well as researchers Valentine Berthet, Milka Sormunen and Manuel Müller.
While my position primarily benefits the Master’s Programme in European and Nordic Studies, the strengthening of teaching in European studies is also broadly beneficial to other master’s programmes of the Faculty and the University. Appointees to Jean Monnet Chairs are also expected to organise activities and events related to their project themes, establishing connections with decision-makers, public officials, civil society and the general public.
I applied for the position in January 2024 through the EU application portal. My project was an excellent match for this year’s call and its focus on the values of the EU, which I have examined from various perspectives in my research. Even though EU applications are often quite demanding and frustrating to complete, this time the effort was rewarded with excellent points.
Your position is located at the Centre for European Studies under the auspices of the Faculty of Social Sciences. What kind of development plans do you have for the next five years, and how do they fit the operations of the centre and the Faculty?
My position boosts the provision of teaching and enhances expertise in European studies, both at the Centre for European Studies and our Faculty. The topic of the position is well suited to the profile of the Centre for European Studies, as European values and democracy are one of our three key research themes. In other words, my appointment and, for example, a book entitled Arvojen yhteisö (‘A community of values’) that I edited are an excellent complement to these selected research areas.
For the Faculty, developing teaching in European studies on both the bachelor’s and master’s levels is of utmost importance, and also responds to broader societal development needs. Strengthening Finnish expertise related to the EU through high-quality teaching based on research is essential in the first place, as a significant part of decision-making is linked to the EU level. In other words, varied EU knowledge will be needed in the professional life of the future.
The Jean Monnet Chair will also make it possible to establish a Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence down the line. In fact, the long-term goal is to develop the Centre for European Studies into a hub of expertise and knowledge on EU-related topics.
The EU no longer appears solely as a peace project, a community of countries that enjoy the internal market and an alliance based on values, but as an agent with the capacity to use not only soft but also hard power. Support for Ukraine, the uncertain domestic political situation in the United States, and the intensifying conflict in the Middle East in particular are expected to make the EU take an increasingly prominent role in strengthening the security of its own continent. According to a study published in the spring, many Finns consider the EU to have a role as a provider of collective security (52%), a counter-terrorism operator (47%) and a deterrence against Russia (42%). A third feel that the EU has a role to play even in catering for common defence. How do you see the future of the EU and, more broadly, Europe?
Of course, many things will affect the future of the EU and Europe as a whole. The establishment of peace and stability has been a key driver of European integration. Unfortunately, the war of aggression initiated by Russia has made peace and related security a very central theme on the EU’s agenda. The tightening of relations between the great powers and the rising number of conflicts require adaptability and new modes of action from the European Union.
The most important thing for the future is to maintain unity between the member states and respect their shared basic values. Fostering fundamental values, such as human rights, equality, democracy and the rule of law, is also the best guarantee for establishing stability and security in Europe and its immediate surroundings. The core values of the EU are central to considering, for example, the next round of EU enlargement.
You have extensively studied the EU as a community of values. How should the EU’s operations reflect its values? Where are the values realised most effectively today, and where least effectively?
In terms of value-based operations, the most important thing is for the EU to act consistently in accordance with its values. Consistency and unity are important for the EU’s credibility as a proponent of values. It is often considered problematic that other interests of the EU take precedence over its values. This has been the case, for example, in the asylum policy the EU and its member states promote. Instead of protecting human dignity and human rights, emphasis has been put on migration control and security aspects. The EU has also been criticised for treating third countries in very different ways, depending on their importance to the EU or individual member states.
I still wish to see the European Union as an essential defender and promoter of democracy, human rights and the rule of law in the world. The promotion of values has been particularly successful through the EU’s enlargement and neighbourhood policy, even though regrettable erosion of democratic principles has been seen in the past ten years even in some EU member states. The EU in many ways also supports the activities of civil society and advocates for human rights. I consider this a particularly significant activity in a world where authoritarian leaders aim to silence free civil society and dissidents.
For a long time, Finland has had a generally positive attitude towards the union, exceeding the EU average. According to the European Parliament’s spring 2024 Eurobarometer survey, Finnish satisfaction with the operations of the union is considerably above the member state average. What kind of an EU citizen are you and what does Europe mean to you?
Membership in the European Union has become an important part of Finland’s identity and that of many Finns. In other words, Europe and being European probably mean belonging to a wider community that is loosely united by certain values and societal principles. As a small state, it is important for Finland to be seen and make a difference as part of a wider group of EU countries, as this way more can be achieved in contrast to individual states going it alone. Then again, Finland must actively contribute to shaping the future direction of the EU.
As an EU citizen, I value many of the benefits associated with membership, such as free movement and the ambitious climate and environmental policy conducted within the EU. The EU also provides security and stability in a rapidly changing and uncertain world. At the same time, the EU has been criticised for its complex and partly unnecessary regulation. In this regard, we must remain critical and sensible towards trends in EU policy-making.