Thank You for a Powerful Beginning
“We’re done with Nordic toasts. We want to create action. We want to create dialogue. We want to build a shared Nordic public sphere.” With those words, we opened the first summit under the banner of NORD55 – and we immediately felt that we are not alone.
Tuesday at JP/Politikens Hus became the setting for striking proof that the will and the ability to strengthen Nordic dialogue are very much alive. Through speeches, readings, conversations, and song—delivered by cultural and chief editors, actors, and business leaders from across the Nordic region—the room was filled with energy, reflection, and vision.
NORD55 was created to promote a new infrastructure for debate and exchange of ideas across our national borders – and the summit showed that this is not only necessary, but entirely possible.
Thank you to everyone who participated and contributed – and a special thanks to our media partners and the Nordic Culture Fund for making it all possible. This was just the beginning. We’ll meet again – fiercer, more engaged, and even more Nordic.
Photos: Niels Hougaard
We agree on the war – but do we also know what it is we are defending?
Christian Jensen, refers to the launch of NORD55’s summit on May 13 with a ‘bravo!’ And he references The Modern Breakthrough, the Scandinavian literary and cultural movement in the late 19th century, led by, among others, Georg Brandes, during which the Nordic public sphere truly flourished.
Newsletter: February 2025
Dear Reader,
If anyone had doubts about the relevance of the Nordic region right now, the beginning of 2025 has certainly dispelled them. Political winds are blowing from all directions, including towards the north, where we shiver in the winter weather. The international security conference in Munich last week left no doubt: “Europe has only itself to rely on,” wrote Ole Nyeng in Weekendavisen. For the Nordic countries, this is even clearer—we must speak with one voice. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was therefore given the responsibility of representing all of the Nordic and Baltic countries at the emergency meeting in Paris this past Monday.
However, it is impossible to write this letter without first pausing to acknowledge the school shooting in Sweden that claimed 11 lives, leaving the country, and all of the Nordic region, in deep mourning. Since then, questions have echoed: Why? Who was the perpetrator? What were his motives? Was he a lone wolf? Was he politically motivated? Was this a racist attack? Many questions remain unanswered, and some may never be answered. Yet, the ensuing discussions reveal the internal tensions Sweden—and the rest of the Nordic region—are grappling with: Who belongs? What does a welfare state encompass? These are questions that strike at the very core of what Nord 55° is concerned with.
The Nordic region is also directly threatened by its former allies. A rules-based world order, built on cross-border dialogue, has been the cornerstone and security guarantee of Nordic foreign policy. As this order now wavers, the Nordic countries are drawing closer together. The consequences of changing rules could be profound—and navigating this new course will require significant effort from all of us. Considering this, we at Nord 55° are working at full speed to finalize the program for a pre-summit taking place on May 13, 2025. This will serve as the launchpad for the much-needed Nordic public discourse.
Under the title Call to the Nordics! we will foster a pan-Nordic conversation about the untapped potential of enhanced collaboration across borders. To succeed, we must also speak truthfully about the challenges we meet. This has not been done sufficiently. More details about what to expect from the pre-summit can be found in this newsletter from project manager and initiator Lise Bach Hansen. As a subscriber, you can secure your spot early. You can also read what Stig Kirk Ørskov, another of Nord 55°’s founders, thought when he saw the photo of the Nordic leaders dining at Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s home—and hear why Kathrine Tschemerinsky, culture editor at Weekendavisen, agreed to join our board. Spring is coming, and light is returning. Happy reading.
Best regards,
Hilde Sandvik
Editor