Finnish President Alexander Stubb to visit Tampere, engage in discussions on culture and geopolitics

Finnish President Alexander Stubb will visit Tampere on Wednesday. He shared on Instagram that he managed to go fishing in the morning before his visit. Stubb mentioned that he arranged to go fishing with judoka Luukas Saha in Paris, stating, “Promises are kept. It was nice to chat about the world and learn about fishing. We didn’t catch anything, but that’s not the point.” The President has acquired a fishing license for the occasion and, based on pictures, he fished in the South Park of Tampere. Stubb has also promised to attend Luukas’ Olympic final in Los Angeles in 2028.

At the start of his visit, President Stubb will check the logistics facility of the Defense Forces. This will be followed by a lunch meeting with Tampere’s leadership and representatives from companies in the defense industry, hosted by Tampere Mayor Kalervo Kummola. Both President Stubb’s father, Göran Stubb, and Kummola are well-known figures in ice hockey circles.

In the afternoon, the President will deliver a speech at Tampere University and engage in discussions with students about geopolitics and the shifting world order. Following this, he will head to the Tampere Adult Education Center, where he will participate in a panel discussion on culture as a societal resource, moderated by Sampo Terho, cultural director of the city of Tampere. Panelists will also include Anna Hjorth-Röntynen, director of the Sara Hildén Art Museum, Mikko Kanninen, director of the Tampere Theatre, and Rosa Meriläinen, secretary-general of the Central Organization for Culture and the Arts.

Before returning home, President Stubb will visit the technology company Insta Group, a long-time strategic partner of the Defense Forces. The press conference will be broadcast live on Yle Areena and the website after 3:30 PM.