The Parliament has today conducted a preliminary debate concerning the Government Report on the Future. In the group speech of the Swedish Parliamentary Group, MP and Chair of the Committee for the Future, Joakim Strand (SFP), pointed out how important it is to instil a belief in the future, particularly among the young. The pandemic, the war in Ukraine, the energy crisis and market uncertainty have led to an exceptional world situation.
“As the Chair of the Committee for the Future, I want to draw attention to the committee’s repeated calls for Finland to consistently aim for leadership in building a sustainable future. It can do so by developing its design, development, research and business competence at the systemic level in both energy and environmental technology. Climate change demands technological innovation. It is important to go into the future decisively and to ensure continued know-how. The government’s target and actions to raise the proportion of young adults with higher education degrees to 50 per cent by 2030 are steps in the right direction,” Strand says.
Strand also pointed out the report’s emphasis on the importance of enhancing our preparedness for the future.Finland has previously been internationally recognised for its competence in security of supply and the stability of the rule of law.
“Based on the annual Rule of Law Index, Finland and the other Nordic countries sit at the top of the list of strong constitutional states, whereas the United States, for example, has recently been slipping down the list. This is a worrying development for a country that was once a world leader. The Swedish Parliamentary Group wants to continue seeing the rule of law being a central value for Western democracies. Therefore Finland must actively fight in all European and international arenas against the deterioration of democracy,” Strand says.
Strand concluded his group speech by stating how fortunate we are to be able to carry out active discussions on the future and on how best to ensure Finland’s future success. The report provides good grounds for wider public debate.
