Global Strategy - blog

Finnish foreign minister Alexander Stubb paid LSE a visit last week. Continuing the already well-developed political debate in this blog, I now make a brief re-cap of what was the message of a politician.

Stubb presented his case fluently, as he being LSE alum has to, but also very effectively. His presentation served as a fine example of well-functioning rhetoric. Throwing jokes and compliments here and there, he took his audience from very early on, which understandably helped in delivering the substance of the message.

He also had an interesting point of how modern world has been significantly shaped by crucial moments or periods in time; collapse of the Berlin wall and the end of cold war, 9/11 and our ongoing economic adventure. One could argue, however, that maybe these key dates just embody or crystallise the changes that have taken place in a much broader sense.

The talk was, in the end (and not very surprisingly), a talk of a politician. Between the lines it became quite apparent that his political ambitions lie in the strengthening the roles of international institutions, free market thinking and NATO. In one sense I think he is quite right though, global problems cannot be solved with national instruments.