Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset will visit the Parliament of Finland on Thursday, 27 November. During his visit, Secretary General Berset will meet, among others, Speaker of Parliament Jussi Halla-aho and members of the Finnish Delegation to the Council of Europe.
During the visit, Berset will present his New Democratic Pact For Europe, which aims to explore ways to strengthen democracy in light of today's challenges. The Council of Europe is Europe's oldest and broadest human rights organisation, with the promotion of democracy as one of its core pillars. Societal changes have sparked discussion on how traditional democracy functions in contemporary society.
Discussion on the Future of Democracy in Europe
On Thursday evening, an English-language roundtable will be held at Parliament, bringing together experts and decision-makers to reflect on the future of democracy in Europe. The event will showcase Finland's foresight expertise and its potential to strengthen societal resilience and participation.
The event is organised by the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Parliament's Committee for the Future, and the Finnish Delegation to the Council of Europe.
The programme includes an address by Secretary General Alain Berset and two panel discussions to deepen the conversation. The event will be streamed live from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m (EET).
Read more: Secretary General Alain Berset to pay official visit to Finland
Speech by MP Martin Paasi at the roundtable
Secretary General Berset, distinguished guests and colleagues,
It is a pleasure to take part in this discussion on how strategic foresight can strengthen democracy. Finland has a long and rather unique experience in this area: the Committee for the Future of the Finnish Parliament has been operating for over 30 years, and we have examined the future of democracy for 25 years – long before today's challenges became visible.
Our message is simple: democracy needs foresight because the future is not created by accident, but by choices.
Allow me to highlight three key points that guide the work of our Committee and that, in our view, are essential for Europe's future.
1. Inclusion and openness – who gets to define the future?
The development of the EU's strategic foresight is a tremendous opportunity, but it is also a question of power.
If futures are defined only at the EU level, without the voices of Member States, we risk receiving visions and scenarios that do not reflect our own perspectives.
It is therefore essential that national foresight systems – such as Finland's – are closely linked to EU-level processes. Information, scenarios, and signals must be openly shared. The future cannot be a closed space; it must be shaped through pluralistic, transparent dialogue.
This supports democracy precisely in the way Secretary General Berset has emphasised: by building trust and making decision-making more transparent.
2. Futures literacy – a civic skill for the whole society
Strategic foresight is not merely better analysis. It is a better capacity to adapt.
We refer to this as futures literacy.
It should become a civic skill on par with reading or critical thinking.
If we want a resilient Europe, we must teach futures thinking in schools, in public administration and at all levels of decision-making.
This is also sound economic reasoning. Market economies thrive where uncertainty can be managed and opportunities identified early.
3. Futures resilience – learning from crises, not just surviving them
Europe needs more than crisis tolerance; it needs renewal capability.
The ability to see disruptions as opportunities, to adopt the good practices that emerge in difficult times, and to build something better from them.
This has been the core of Finland's foresight system:
Integrating research, ministerial collaboration, stakeholder engagement and parliamentary debate into a long-term process that guides decision-making across electoral cycles.
It is also one reason why Finland has performed well—not because we face fewer challenges, but because we are not afraid of change.
Secretary General,
We strongly support your efforts to develop foresight as a pillar of democratic governance. We share the view that open information, multi-voiced dialogue and strengthened foresight capabilities are the best antidote to polarisation, disinformation and declining trust.
Europe needs a shared approach to the future—built not from the top down, but together.
Finland has long experience in this work. We want to contribute, and we want to learn from others.
Because the future of democracy is not predetermined—it is our common project.
Thank you.