New direct links with Germany

The aim was to enhance and extend the existing parliamentary co-operation between the Nordic Council and the Bundestag. The two bodies have a long-standing tradition of working together, especially under the auspices of the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC).

Franz Thönnes (SPD), deputy chair of the Bundestag Committee on Foreign Affairs and chair of the German-Nordic Parliamentary Friendship Group, headed the delegation, which also comprised Gero Storjohann (CDU/CSU), Cornelia Möhring (DIE LINKE), Stephan Albani (CDU/CSU), Thomas Stritzl (CDU/CSU) and Hiltrud Lotze (SPD).

“The Nordic Council has more than 60 years’ experience of working together, making it one of the best examples of European co-operation. It represents best practice in terms of working together in a peaceful manner for the benefit of all policy areas for example on issues such as welfare, prosperity and security – the latter of which is becoming increasingly important. When the Iron Curtain fell in the early ’90s, the Nordic Council was a key player in efforts to stabilise the new democracies in places like the Baltic countries,” said Thönnes.

Need for regional identity

The chair of the delegation added that the experience of long-term Nordic co-operation – unlike its younger EU counterpart – shows that strengthening “people-to-people” relationships is the best way to be good neighbours with the surrounding countries and to promote a peaceful future:

“We look forward to welcoming a delegation from the Nordic Council, working even more closely together and discussing the challenges that we all face – climate change, energy and migration policy. In a globalised world, finding a regional identity is ever more important – and this makes the Nordic Council’s history a good example for us all.

We also look forward to following the process of reform in Nordic co-operation, because the EU faces the same challenges – i.e. making political work visible and ensuring that the results are addressed.”

After its visit to the Nordic Council in Copenhagen, the German delegation visited the Norwegian delegation to the Nordic Council in Oslo. The provisional plan is for the Nordic Council to send a delegation to Germany in autumn, to make the most of the new direct links.