Listening to one of our former UNI Global Union Board Members today on May 9th 2019, at the Europe Day celebrations in Helsinki. Antti Rinne, speaker of parliament and president of the Social Democratic Party is now working to put together a broad coalition government. He took some time off from negotiations to come down to our street meeting where we launched the active campaign for the European Parliament elections.
My own candidate Mikkel Näkkäläjärvi from the northernmost part of Finland – Lapland – was of course there as well. When elected, the chair of our social democratic youth will be the first MEP to represent Europe’s only recognised indigenous population, the Sami. He is considered here to have good chances to get elected and it was nice to see how many of us already retired unionists are openly flagging for his candidacy.
Having returned home after 26 years of international trade union work in Geneva it is rewarding and inspiring to participate in support of a new generation of leaders also on the EU arena – motivated skilled and responsible people who defend our common European values. Today we need these young leaders to take over EU responsibilities if we are to cope with the huge challenges facing us, such as climate change and global security.
Today’s event was pleasant also because a handful of us who were working for the Finnish unions already in the 70’s and 80’s and then continued in many different positions met and chatted a bit as we listened and showed our support for our politician colleagues.
In the pictures, Antti Rinne and Mikkel Näkkäläjärvi, and behind Mikkel also Eero Heinäluoma who started as youth secretary in the trade union confederation SAK and moved on to be Finance Minister and Speaker of Parliament and now has decided to participate in the EU elections after resigning from the Finnish parliament.