Kultaranta Talks on 24 May to be virtual

The Kultaranta Talks hosted every year by Sauli Niinistö at his summer residence Naantali will be held this yearvirtually on 24 May due to the current coronavirus outbreak.

The Theme of the 2020 Kultaranta Talks is “How do we adapt to the changes that the post-coronavirus world will bring? What can we do to influence the direction of change?” said a press release issued by the President’s office on Wednesday.

The Talks, the eighth edition of it, will be broadcast live on Yle TV1 and Yle Areena on, 24 May, Sunday, starting at 18:15.

The programme begins with an opening discussion, featuring Niinistö, archaeologist Risto Pelkonen, and Union of Upper Secondary School Students in Finland President Adina Nivukoski.

This will be followed by a discussion on changes in the world order: After the coronavirus, will we see closer cooperation or intensifying competition?

Hiski Haukkala, a professor of international relations, EU Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen, and Helsingin Sanomat’s Head of Editorial Team Matti Kalliokoski will participate in the session as discussants.

The second thematic discussion will consider how the global and the Finnish economies will cope with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic and its mitigation. Will the structures and value chains of the economy and trade change? Will globalisation come to a halt? Will something better arise?

The themes will be discussed by Chairman of Nokia and F-Secure Risto Siilasmaa, former prime minister Esko Aho, and Senior Advisor to Nordic West Office Anu Partanen.

The third issue is the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on our society. How will the experience change our relationships with each other and our common values? How do we create a better tomorrow?

Participants in this discussion will be e2 Research Director Karina Jutila, , writer and Chair of the Central Arts Council Juha Itkonen, and Assistant Professor of Social Psychology at the University of Helsinki Nelli Hankonen.

The Kultaranta Talks will end with a discussion among the president, Parliament Speaker Matti Vanhanen and Prime Minister Sanna Marin.

The talks so far were held seven times and normally the discussion took place for two days at the president's summer residence Kultaranta, with experts from home and abroad taking part.