Esko Antola Lecture, Turku City Theatre Foyer, Thursday 25 August, 11:00
Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ensuing rise in energy, raw material and food prices are affecting people’s consumption habits and business investment within the euro area. What is the current state of Europe’s economy and monetary policy, and how will this change in the future? The lecture will be delivered by Tuomas Välimäki, member of the Board of the Bank of Finland. This will be followed by a panel discussion in which various perspectives on the themes will be presented by Emilia Kullas, Director of the Finnish Business and Policy Forum (EVA), and Tuuli Koivu, Chief Economist at Nordea. The event will be hosted by Elisa Newby, Head of General Secretariat at the Bank of Finland.
“I’m looking forward to a wide-ranging debate on economic and monetary policy at the Europe Forum in Turku. The setting in which these policies operate has changed rapidly in Finland and across the euro area,” says Tuomas Välimäki.
Is the world economy dividing into blocs? Supply chains, efficiency and growth outlooks – Panel discussion, Friday 26 August, 13:15
The world economy and international trade have been severely tested by recent events: Russia’s war in Ukraine, international sanctions, pandemic-related supply problems, and trade disputes. Companies are having to strike a balance between cost-effectiveness and reliability and to consider reorganising their supply chains. Furthermore, differences in technological development might be starting to emerge between democratic and authoritarian countries. The panel, put together by the Bank’s Monetary Policy and Research Department, will discuss the impact of these trends in Finland, the EU and the world economy. The panellists are Elina Björklund, CEO at Reima Oy, Ville Skinnari, Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade, and Petri Vuorio, a Director at the Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK). The host for the event is Head of the Bank of Finland Institute for Emerging Economies (BOFIT). The events can also be followed by viewing the webcast.
There is also simultaneous interpretation into English:
Is the world economy dividing into blocs?
The Europe Forum event in Turku is an annual event that examines Finland’s role in Europe and in the European Union. The theme of this year’s Europe Forum is the role of Finland and the EU within the changing international order. This year’s Esko Antola Lecture is the third such lecture organised by the Bank of Finland for the Europe Forum programme. The lecture is named after Esko Antola (b. 1947), a pioneer of research in European studies in Finland.