Nordic Council to discuss threats to democracy
The theme will be discussed right away on the first day of the Session, Tuesday 30 October, at the summit attended by the members of the Nordic Council and the Nordic prime ministers. The summit provides an opportunity for the 87 members of the Council to pose questions and debate with the five prime ministers and the leaders of the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland.
The heading for the summit is The Nordic countries’ ability to withstand attempts by other nations to influence our societies and democratic processes.
The President of the Nordic Council, Michael Tetzschner, notes that democratic values are under heavy pressure in the current political climate and that countries who share the same basic views should work together.
“We have seen clearly that certain countries will not hesitate to use a variety of means to try to influence our democratic elections and create splits in our societies. It is extremely important that we work together, not just in the Nordic Region but also in the EU and at global level, and devote the resources needed to stand together and resist attempts to put pressure on our democracies,” the President says.
Proposal for joint cyber defence
Security issues will also be discussed under other points on the Session agenda, e.g. the members will debate a proposal for closer Nordic cooperation on cyber defence proposed by the Conservative Group
and the foreign and defence ministers will report to the Session.
Another important theme will be freedom of movement, in other words removing as many obstacles to cross-border freedom of movement as possible so that people can work and study freely throughout the Nordic Region without encountering any extra bureaucracy. One of the agenda points that addresses this theme will be the meeting with the Ministers for Nordic Co-operation on Wednesday.
Nordic co-operation on legislation will also be debated, based on the report by Professor Inge Lorange Backer to the Nordic Council of Ministers.
Political super week
The annual autumn Session of the Nordic Council brings together politicians from the whole of the Nordic Region, including MPs, various ministers and all of the prime ministers. It will be held in the Norwegian Parliament in Oslo from 30.10 to 1.11.
The Nordic Council is responsible for official inter-parliamentary co-operation in the Nordic Region. It was formed in 1952 and has members from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland.
