Hannele Muilu is moving from Pasila to Brussels as an EU correspondent. Justas Stasevskij starts as ‘s editor in Warsaw.
Financial reporter Hannele Muilu starts at the beginning of the year in Brussels as ‘s EU correspondent.
Next summer is the EU parliamentary elections, how is your first year going to be?
– The elections, the start of the new parliament and then the assembly of the commission will fill almost the whole of next year. In the spring, I plan to move from the carpets of EU institutions to more member countries to listen to citizens’ election sentiments, says Muilu.
– This is the third EU parliamentary election that I am following. All of them have feared the rise of far-right parties and the growth of power. This is expected again.
Brussels is known as the home of EU institutions. What do you think of your new hometown?
– I have lived in Brussels for a couple of years before. Once you get over the initial bureaucracy, it’s easy to enjoy yourself in Brussels. The atmosphere is friendly, international and relaxed.
– However, the best Belgium is perhaps outside Brussels, in the hills and small towns of the Ardennes, Muilu reflects.
The importance of Poland is growing
In addition to the change of EU correspondent, ‘s foreign offering will see other changes next year. will strengthen its European reporting, promises the head of foreign distribution Krista Taubert.
Foreign reporter Justas Stasevskij starts at the beginning of the year as ‘s reporter in Warsaw, Poland. In addition to Poland, he also follows Ukraine and the EU countries of Eastern Central Europe.
– During the EU elections, it is interesting to take a closer look not only at Brussels but also at the social pain points and everyday challenges within the different member states, says Taubert.
– And the tension about supporting Ukraine will probably continue, Taubert estimates.
Justas Stasevskij, who is moving to Warsaw, knows Ukrainian. How close are the Ukrainian and Polish languages to each other?
– Few people know that in terms of vocabulary, the Ukrainian language is closer to Polish than to Russian. In practice, however, understanding Polish is somewhat challenging, and that’s why I plan to apply for a Polish course as well.
What stories would you like to do about Poland and other Eastern European countries?
– Poland is emerging as a European military power and it is also an important ally for Finland in NATO. It is particularly interesting to follow which direction Poland will turn with the new government.
– Many elections will be held in Eastern Europe next year, for example in Moldova, which is also trying to break away from Russia’s influence. Hungary has received a lot of attention in the media, but the role of Austria has been left to a lesser extent – there are also stories coming from there.