“Very rewarding and also an important reminder that independence, democracy and good relations between parties are worth cherishing.”
This is how Annika Lyytikäinen (Christian Democrats) described her experience on Demo Finland’s study visit to Prishtina, Kosovo.
In co-operation with the Prishtina Institute for Political Studies (PIPS), Demo Finland organised a two-day workshop for young politicians from Finland and Kosovo in November. The co-operation aimed to strengthen the understanding of common challenges for youth political participation and to reflect on solutions to enhance youth participation and democratic resilience.
Representatives of five parliamentary parties from Finland took part in the study visit to Kosovo. Almost all were alumni of Demo Finland’s Democracy Academy for political youth and student organisations. PIPS is an organisation and think tank that trains future political leaders in Kosovo and brings together representatives of different political parties in a confidential environment.
Kosovo aims to be part of the international community
“The interaction with local youth politicians was interactive and rewarding. Demo Finland and the local school of politics for young Kosovars will certainly get a good basis for their further work on the basis of these discussions and meetings,” said one of the participants, Matias Päivä (Finns Party).
Kosovo is seeking membership in international organisations and has applied to join the EU in 2022. However, only about half of the world’s countries have recognised Kosovo since it declared independence from Serbia in 2008. The country’s history is marked by hostilities and tensions between the Albanian and Serb populations.
Compared to other countries in Europe, Kosovo’s population is young, with an average age of 34.8 years. The political participation and prospects for the future of young people are therefore crucial for the country’s democratic development. Participation is currently a topical issue in Kosovo, where the next elections will take place in February 2025.
The joint workshop laid the groundwork for strengthening the voice of young people in decision-making. Co-operation between different political parties in Kosovo is not a given, and there are also many tensions between young party representatives. The Finnish experience of multi-party co-operation was of interest to the Kosovars, and the discussion with peers who are “outsiders” helped to maintain a constructive atmosphere for discussion.
Dialogue helps to find common solutions
In the workshop, Demo Finland facilitated a Timeout Dialogue on the link between democracy and security and the role of social media in democracy. The Timeout Dialogue method creates the conditions for a constructive and respectful discussion, where participants listen to each other’s experiences as equals. It has been used for several years in the Democracy Academy, where Demo Finland has strengthened Finnish youth politicians’ dialogue skills and capacity for constructive co-operation across party lines.
“It was a relief to see that young people who are very strongly against each other’s parties on social media and at demonstrations could still joke around and have a drink together,” said Akseli Ekola (Left Alliance) of the encounters on the visit.
The importance of dialogue was also discussed by Enni Ervasti (Social Democrats): “I feel that dialogue between parties is a prerequisite for the genuine realisation of democracy. If political parties did not even try to understand each other, it would contribute to dividing the people against each other, and the consequences of this could be very unpredictable. Dialogue, both between individuals and between political parties, contributes to the pluralism of social debate and also teaches the important skill of compromise.”
In the second day’s workshop, the participants focused on identifying key obstacles and solutions for young people’s political participation. Young political party representatives highlighted the importance of strengthening political parties’ youth organisations, the role of women in society and democracy education.
Despite two different contexts, it was meaningful to reflect on the challenges and solutions together: “It was interesting to see that although Kosovo and Finland are different in many ways, many of the problems related to the political participation of young people are similar”, commented Pinja Ahlqvist (National Coalition Party).
Getting to know Kosovo and engaging in multi-party dialogue
During the study visit, the Finnish participants also learned about the political situation in Kosovo from the perspective of democracy, the rule of law and human rights. The delegation visited the Finnish Embassy in Prishtina, where Ambassador Matti Nissinen gave a presentation on relations between Finland and Kosovo. Finland is one of the countries that have recognised Kosovo, and in Kosovo Finland is particularly remembered for Martti Ahtisaari, who served as the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative in the negotiations concerning Kosovo’s status. The study visit also included meetings with the Office of the EU Special Representative, the UNDP and the OSCE mission.
The Finnish participants found it interesting to learn about the history and political situation in Kosovo and to get to know young Kosovar politicians and their culture. The study visit also enhanced multi-party dialogue and co-operation, as the participants were able to get to know each other during the visit.
“I think the whole delegation had a really good team spirit! After the official meetings, we all walked around Prishtina together and made sure that no one was ever left behind,” said Enni Ervasti.
Strengthening multi-party co-operation and dialogue both in Finland and internationally has been the cornerstone of Demo Finland’s work from the very beginning. This dialogue is promoted through different trainings, online meetings and delegation visits that focus on international peer learning. As political polarisation intensifies and the state of democracy deteriorates in both new and established democracies, supporting multi-party dialogue is more important than ever.
