Malla Rannikko-Laine
Director of Public Relations
Advocacy and Cooperation
We safeguard the interests of Southwest Finland and influence decision-making at local, national, and European levels. We work to ensure that the region’s objectives are reflected in government programs, the state budget, and EU funding programs. Advocacy is cooperation: we bring together regional stakeholders, build common goals, and convey Southwest Finland’s message to decision-makers—from Brussels to municipalities.
Our Advocacy Work
The Regional Council of Southwest Finland actively promotes the region’s strategic influence at regional, national, and international levels. In regional advocacy work, the Council cooperates closely with municipalities, universities, businesses, organizations, and state authorities. The Council coordinates, among other things, the regional advocacy cooperation group and the Archipelago Sea advocacy group, and utilizes the expertise of the regional cooperation group and its sections.
In national advocacy, the Regional Council of Southwest Finland safeguards the region’s interests in national decision-making and brings the regional perspective to the state administration, ministries, and parliament. Cooperation with members of parliament and ministers from the constituency is a key advocacy channel. Advocacy work is based on strategic objectives, which are updated for each electoral term, and the Council actively monitors legislative and budget preparation.
Internationally, the Regional Council of Southwest Finland exerts influence particularly through cooperation with the regions of Southern Finland and Baltic Sea partners. In Brussels, the Council and the City of Turku have a joint office through which the region’s voice is heard in the European Union. The objective is to strengthen Southwest Finland’s position in the preparation of EU programs and ensure that EU funding is obtained for the region’s development needs.
Our Advocacy Channels
In Southwest Finland, members of parliament actively cooperate and jointly promote the region’s government program objectives. The region’s 17 members of parliament form an actively functioning cooperation group. The group is chaired by Saara-Sofia Sirén (National Coalition Party) and vice-chaired by Vilhelm Junnila (Finns Party) and Saku Nikkanen (Social Democratic Party). The Regional Council of Southwest Finland coordinates the cooperation group’s meetings.
Municipal Manager Meeting
The Southwest Finland Municipal Manager Meeting is a cooperation forum for the region’s 27 municipalities, coordinated by the Regional Council of Southwest Finland. The meeting brings together municipal managers approximately every six weeks to discuss current regional and national issues. The objective is to strengthen cooperation between municipalities, share best practices, and promote joint solutions for regional development.
The Southwest Finland Advocacy School encourages young people to make an impact. Nearly 200 young people have attended the school, gaining skills to participate in societal decision-making and discussion. The training is designed for young people and students interested in societal issues, and over the course of a year, participants become familiar with decision-making in municipalities, the region, parliament, and the EU. The objective is to lower the threshold for influencing and inspire young people to build the future of Southwest Finland.
