Hidden agendas of Finnish-British parliamentary relations in the 20th century – a talk by Gunilla Carlander

Friday, 16 January 2026
18:00-20:00

During the 20th century, meetings between parliamentarians from different countries developed into a new way for politicians to gather information, to observe developments and get to know political realities in other countries. Finland was the first country in the world to give women full political rights. This happened in 1906; the same year that the Finnish “parliament” (Diet of Four Estates) received its first invitation to an international congress from the British Parliament in London. The British Parliament was also the only Western parliament that was interested in regular parliamentary contacts with Finland after the Second World War. Why was the UK Parliament interested in Finland? Was there a hidden agenda behind these British initiatives?

Join us for an insightful talk by Gunilla Carlander, who worked in the Finnish Parliament for over 30 years, and is currently studying the history of Finnish parliamentary diplomacy.