On 12th June, BBC World Questions is coming to Helsinki at a fascinating time in Finland’s history. In April, the country voted in a general election resulting in the left wing Social Democratic Party of Finland winning a razor thin victory over the nationalist Finns Party, which campaigned on an anti-immigration agenda. In a dramatic result, only one parliamentary seat separates the two parties. The Social Democrats will now head a government for the first time in 16 years.
A coalition has been formed of five parties - but which political direction will it now take? The Social Democrats have pledged to raise taxes to fund the nation’s pension and welfare system, and to tackle inequality. But Finland faces other problems – rising fears over immigration, the environment, and concerns over the country’s ageing population.
Chairing the debate at Finlandia Hall in Helsinki, the BBC’s Jonathan Dimbleby will be joined by a panel of influential politicians and thinkers who will be debating questions from the audience. The panel will include:
- Ville Skinnari – Minister for Foreign Trade and Development and Vice Chair, Social Democratic Party
- Riikka Purra – The Finns Party
- Elina Lepomäki – The National Coalition Party
- Jari Hanska - Freelance journalist
BBC World Questions is an English language event, created in partnership with the British Council and will be recorded for radio broadcast worldwide.
As a cultural relations and educational organisation and partner of the BBC World Service, the British Council helps to enable a platform where the general public can join a democratic debate on a global forum.
BBC World Service delivers news content around the world in English and 41 other language services, on radio, TV and digital, reaching a weekly audience of 279 million. As part of BBC World Service, BBC Learning English teaches English to global audiences. For more information, visit bbc.com/worldservice. The BBC attracts a weekly global audience of 347 million people to its international news services including BBC World Service, BBC World News television channel and bbc.com/news.
Admission is free, but online registration is required. Whilst we hope to accommodate everyone, please arrive in good time to be sure of a seat