Time: Monday 11 January 2021, 13:00-15:00 (EET), Think Corner, Helsinki
Live stream: https://tiedekulmamedia.helsinki.fi/fi/web/tiedekulma/player/webcast?pl…;
What happened with the EU optimism? Are Europeans in the North and South as content as when entering the EU in the 1980s and 1990s? What were the feelings then?
In the last ten years, it is commonplace to read and hear that the European project is in crisis. The perceived lack of intra-European solidarity, the growing divide between the North and the South of the continent, the emergence of Eurosceptic populism and Brexit have fuelled this belief. This contrasts sharply with the previous hegemonic narrative of successful European integration. This witness seminar brings together key political actors involved in the Iberian and Nordic integrations in Europe (1986 and 1995). They will share their memories and shed light on these historical processes, contributing to a more sophisticated assessment of the European integration in the South and in the North.
Witness Panel
- Esko Aho (Finland), Prime Minister of Finland 1991-1995
- Juan Antonio Yáñez-Barnuevo (Spain), Diplomatic Advisor to President Felipe González 1982-1991
- Mats Hellström (Sweden), Minister for Foreign Trade 1983–86 and 1994-96, Minister for Agriculture 1986–1991
Moderators: Johan Strang (Associate Professor, University of Helsinki) and Matilda af Hällström (PhD Candidate, University of Helsinki)
The event will be streamed live via Think Corner: https://tiedekulmamedia.helsinki.fi/fi/web/tiedekulma/player/webcast?playerId=38521893&eventId=78546389
Questions are welcome via the Facebook event page: Recollections of Joining the EU. Iberian and Nordic Experiences.
The seminar is organized by the Centre of Nordic Studies at the University of Helsinki, www.helsinki.fi/cens
Further information: Hasan Akintug, hasan.akintug@helsinki.fi