Nordic Region plays host to political festivals in eight countries this summer

The democracy festivals start with the People’s Festival in Bornholm, Denmark on Thursday 16 June and end in September with Fundur fólksins in Iceland. By that time, Nordic co-operation will have attended festivals in eight countries.

“The democracy festivals give us politicians the opportunity to engage in dialogue about challenges and solutions with civil society, partners, and citizens. This inspires me in my discussions with my ministerial colleagues in Nordic co-operation in our aspirations to make the Nordic Region the most sustainable and integrated in the world,” says Flemming Møller Mortensen, Danish Minister for Development Co-operation and Minister for Nordic Co-operation.

Together with more than 130 other Nordic opinion makers, he will focus on Nordic added value and on solutions that will make it possible to achieve the vision of becoming the most sustainable region in the world by 2030.

After two years of partial hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this summer’s political festivals pave the way for major face-to-face debates on topics that affect us all.

For the first time, eight countries will be playing host to the Nordic democracy festivals. In addition to the democracy festivals in the Nordic countries, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania will address the Nordic Region and Nordic co-operation as part of the Baltic countries’ democracy festivals. 

The Nordic Council’s 70th anniversary is a common theme in the council’s five debates at the Nordic festivals, where we will discuss the topics that, following a survey in 2021, the citizens of the Nordic countries consider to be the most important: Crisis management and crisis preparedness, the environment and sustainability, defence, cross-border co-operation, and the fight against crime across borders.

You can read more about the individual festivals here, and see which topics will be debated where and when. We look forward to meeting you!