Closer working relations with Germany

Members of the Nordic Council, including its president, Henrik Dam Kristensen, and members of the German Bundestag and the German-Nordic Parliamentary Friendship Group gathered in the German capital to exchange views.

The meeting was a natural extension of the well-established programme of parliamentary co-operation between the Nordic Council and the German Bundestag. The two bodies have a long tradition of working together, in particular under the auspices of the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC).

The last meeting was on 1 June 2015, when the Nordic Council welcomed members of the German Bundestag to Copenhagen and discussed options for closer ties.

Crises in Europe

The Deputy Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs in the Bundestag and Chair of the German-Nordic Parliamentary Friendship Group, Franz Thönnes (SPD), and the Finnish Ambassador, Ritva Koukku-Ronde, welcomed the Nordic delegation in the Nordic Embassy Complex. Henrik Dam Kristensen, President of the Nordic Council, also address the gathering.

“Berlin – home to the German government and the Bundestag – has played an increasingly key role in addressing the series of unfortunate crises to afflict Europe in recent years. The most recent economic crisis, which exerted huge pressure on the Eurozone, has almost been forgotten – eclipsed by more pressing concerns. The Russian annexation of Crimea, in which national borders in Europe changed by force for the first time since 1945, was a disappointing sign of a deteriorating security situation. This was followed by a sharp deterioration of the situation in the Middle East and North Africa, leading to a massive flow of refugees and migrants to northern Europe. Unfortunately, neither the war in Syria nor the flow of refugees is anywhere near over,” he said.

“The Nordic countries cannot claim to have a collective response to all of these challenges. But we know from long experience that it is useful to exchange views – especially at critical moments in time.”

“Over the years, we have worked closely with the Bundestag and with several of the northern Länder via the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference. And we are here again today because we face the same challenges, and Germany’s involvement in the process of devising solutions is important.”

Joint solutions are the way forward

Henrik Dam Kristensen praised the initiative that facilitates direct contact between the Nordic Council and German politicians.

“It is not always easy to quantify the results of diplomatic and parliamentary contacts. But I am quite sure that the world would be in a worse state if we did not meet across national borders and talk about joint solutions to the challenges of the future.”

“Germany was an important neighbour even in times when relations between the countries were anything but friendly. We are proud of the model that Denmark and Germany have created, which enables the national minorities to live in peace and harmony with the majority populations in the border areas of Jutland and North Schleswig.”

Freedom must be secured

Deputy Chair of the Foreign Committee of the Bundestag and Chair of the German-Nordic Parliamentary Friendship Group, Franz Thönnes, also spoke in glowing terms about Nordic-German co-operation, and underlined the importance of joint solutions to challenges such as refugees and integration.

“Unilateral solutions are short-lived – they don’t endure in the long run. We must secure peace, freedom and democracy for our generation and those of the future. The question is how to do so without curtailing that very same freedom. Border controls are a challenge to mobility. The answer must be to work together to find peaceful solutions – to meet, as now, and talk about things. I am sure that we have the capacity and the skills to do so,” he said.

The Nordic Council delegation consisted of Erkki Tuomioja (Finland), Hans Wallmark (Sweden), Michael Tetzschner (Norway) and Rigmor Andersen Eide (Norway).