Nordisk Råd og Nordisk Ministerråd
Address by Gunnar Hökmark to The Nordic Council at the Nordic Council Seminar
Swedish Parliament, Wednesday 29 October 2025
Mr Speaker, Mr President, Prime Ministers, Members of Parliament, Ladies and Gentlemen, dear Nordic friends,
After the tragedy at Utøya, the European Parliament paused its session to honour the victims. I was asked to speak on behalf of the EPP Group — as a Swede and Vice-Chairman of the group, I was regarded as close enough to Norway. Perhaps simply as “the Nordic.” And I said about those young people — whom we never met but felt we knew:
“Even though we have not met them, we know them from their conviction, idealism, passion and the hope of knowing what is right and wrong and of being able to make the world a better place – something that we ourselves should stand for as much as possible.
The Norwegian poet Henrik Ibsen expressed this once with the following words when Denmark was attacked during the Schleswig-Holstein conflict: A brother in need! Every man on deck.
During one period in our history, Sweden had reason to say that Finland’s concerns were also our own. What happened in Norway, in Oslo and on Utøya, makes Norway’s concerns the concerns of us all.”
It is a bad habit to quote yourself, I know, but my point is not how my words fell — but how I felt. I don’t think I have ever felt so Nordic as in that moment. And that was reinforced by the number of colleagues coming forward to me after my speech, nearly as I was a Norwegian. And that is my point here today.
And in the world of today, as Ibsen said — every brother and sister must be on deck. We are Nordics.
When global challenges rise — threats, violence, risks, as well as new opportunities — it is natural to feel Nordic. To recognise that our common strength lies in our shared history, our democratic roots, and our values of freedom. We are siblings — sometimes teasing and competing — but when dark clouds gather, we stand as a family. And my message here today is clear: in the times ahead, this Nordic family can be an exceptionally strong force — strengthening Europe and shaping European unity.
Europe today is — whether we like it or not — the leader of the free world. Not because we suddenly became stronger, but because the United States of today has stepped back from that role. The current administration does not defend the international order and the rule of law as a leader of the free world must do. That brings uncertainty at a dangerous moment in history.
At the same time, Russia’s aggression, China’s coercion, and the disruptive power of new technologies are testing us. Democracies are challenged from the outside — and too often from within. The global order that once seemed stable has fractured. Our capacity to act with unity and confidence is being questioned.
But amid this turbulence, the Nordic region stands out. From Reykjavik to Helsinki, from Oslo to Copenhagen and Stockholm, we share more than geography. We share a deep commitment to democracy, open economies, and the rule of law. We are among the most innovative, trusted, and transparent societies on earth. We combine prosperity with peace, social cohesion with individual freedom, responsibility with opportunity. That is no coincidence — it is the result of centuries of nation-building, entrepreneurship, education, and a firm belief that freedom and responsibility belong together.
This shared foundation gives the Nordics something greater than national success: a strategic role in Europe and in the transatlantic community. Northern Europe used to be seen as a quiet corner — stable and wealthy, but peripheral. Not anymore.
With Sweden and Finland in NATO, the Nordic region has become a strategic core of European defence. We are crucial in order to secure the Arctic, the Baltic Sea, and the North Atlantic — three of the most decisive geostrategic areas in the world today. We are at the centre of Russia’s confrontation with the West. Putin’s demands for a sphere of influence — including our territory — made that brutally clear even before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
We are also exposed to the weaponisation of trade by authoritarian regimes, and to uncertainty about the future role of the United States — our closest ally. But we are not passive.
Nordic air forces plan and train as one. Our navies operate seamlessly. Our intelligence communities cooperate with deep trust. And our defence industries are among Europe’s most advanced.
In reality, we are building a Nordic defence framework within NATO — strengthening the Alliance and at the same time giving us a stronger collective political voice. And if the US becomes less predictable, our region connects North America to Europe through the most reliable and forward-looking partners the Alliance could wish for. But we must go further still — because security comes from capability.
Security is also economic strength. Growth, innovation, competitiveness, and open trade shape geopolitical power. Together, the Nordic economies form one of the world’s ten largest — and with our Baltic friends, we reach G7 scale. We lead in clean energy, electrification, telecom, digitalisation and AI, maritime technology, pharmaceuticals, design, and innovation. We show that prosperity, sustainability, and social trust reinforce one another.
Europe must aim to be the world’s leading knowledge and digital economy — not number three or four, but number one. There is no reason to have any other goal. When we set that ambition for Europe, it becomes obvious what needs to be done: invest in science and research, build the best entrepreneurial landscape, and make Europe the centre of global trade. When the US gets smaller, Europe must grow taller.
The Nordic model of economic openness and innovation is a strategic asset in a world where authoritarian regimes use energy, trade, and technology as weapons. That is why Europe’s talk of “strategic autonomy” must mean strategic openness and capacity — not protectionism. We should lead a European agenda of free trade, strong competitiveness, and transatlantic cooperation.
Let us develop a Nordic Growth Pact in the EU — integrating capital markets, energy markets, defence industries, and digital infrastructure, and linking universities, research centres, start-ups, and companies across our borders. Not building new institutions — but connecting strengths.
Yet, let me be clear: our strongest foundation is not military strength or economic power — it is democratic confidence. In the Nordic region, democracy is not just a system — it is a culture of trust. Trust between government and citizens, between employers and employees, between society and the state.
This trust allows long-term decisions, swift action in crises, and social cohesion under pressure. In times of disinformation and populism, we show that freedom and stability are inseparable. And in a time when Europe must defend democracy abroad, we can show that freedom works — not just morally, but practically.
Now, our responsibility is to turn Nordic strength into European impact. We must stand with Ukraine — until victory and reconstruction. We must ensure that NATO’s northern flank becomes the Alliance’s most integrated and forward-leaning region. We must shape the EU toward competitiveness, open markets, and technological leadership — and ensure that democracy and the rule of law remain the core of European power.
The future of Europe does not lie in yielding to autocrats — or in relying on a United States that might retreat from its global role. It lies in making freedom stronger than fear, and cooperation stronger than coercion.
Ladies and Gentlemen: the Nordics have the credibility, the capacity, and the conviction to lead in a disoriented time — not by domination, but by example. Let this be the Nordic moment — when small nations, bound by trust and freedom, deeply rooted in the values of liberal democracy and strong in their defence of human rights, help a continent rediscover its strength. Europe needs leadership. The world needs Europe. And Europe needs the Nordics.
It is time for the Nordic Moment.
Thank you.
Gunnar Hökmark is chairman of Stockholm Free World Forum
