Interview with the Mayor of Helsinki

What are your expectations for your own city in connection with the enlargement?

The freedom of movement of persons, services, goods and capital can be considered as a possibility or a threat. We see the free movement in the BSR as a huge potential for us to develop. This new spirit of development comes from the integral ties with our new EU neighbour Estonia with whom we have also formed partnerships for handling the inevitable problems related with the open borders. I believe that existing city networks will gain even more importance in the enlarged Europe. I hope that we can continue sharing best practices in city networks in different fields in order to enhance the competitiveness of our region. Helsinki wishes to contribute to the new dynamism of the BSR in the enlarged Union.

Do you think the identity of your citizens will be more European?

During the past years the identity of the citizens of Helsinki has clearly become more and more European. In my opinion the EU enlargement as such does not make much change. I am sure that this sense of being European will keep growing during the next years. When our neighbouring countries join the EU and the Baltic Sea becomes the EU inland sea, the BSR may gain a new, less peripheral position. As a part of the global economy no place is really peripheral, but it is just the mental maps which make people locate places as distant or remote.

In what direction do you think EU will develop after the enlargement?

There are two challenges greater than the others: How do we get a balanced development all over Europe? And how can we raise the competitiveness of Europe as a whole?

I do hope that the common vision of the Europe of Regions will be achieved by constantly developing city networks, which may act as motors for a more innovative and competitive Europe. In my vision the Baltic Sea Region will become one of the best European examples in this sense.

Eva-Ritta Sittonen
Mayor of Helsinki, Finland