The autumn meeting of the Baltic Sea Trade Union Network (BASTUN) and the democracy conference of the Council of Nordic Trade Unions (NFS), held in Helsinki on 24–25 November 2025, revealed how the role of trade unions is expanding at the intersection of regional security, democracy, and social policy, notes Jonas Januškevičius, International Secretary of the Lithuanian Trade Union Confederation (LPSK), who represented Lithuania at these events and shares the key points of the discussions.

Stability is built not only through military investment, but also through social protection

The BASTUN meeting opened with remarks by Luc Triangle, General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), who emphasized that trade unions are direct participants in democratic processes, as they enable workers to take part in decision-making in companies as well as on national and international levels.

Participants stressed that ensuring security in the Baltic Sea region requires viewing social, democratic, and defence policy as interconnected fields. Today, the region operates under constant geopolitical pressure – in the context of the war in Ukraine, energy and economic shocks, and growing political polarization.

Antti Palola, President of the Finnish Confederation of Professionals (STTK), presented the situation in Finland, which became one of the most important highlights of the event. According to him, the right-wing government is introducing a reform package that includes restricting strikes, reducing social guarantees, narrowing trade union rights, and planning to abolish tax deductions for union membership fees. These decisions show how quickly even long-standing, stable models of social dialogue can be destabilized by political shifts – a development causing concern throughout the region.

Delegations from Poland and Sweden stressed that military investment alone is not enough to ensure effective crisis management. If workers in critical sectors lack clear instructions, protective equipment, and practical preparedness, even enhanced defence capabilities become less effective.

This was confirmed by data from the Swedish Confederation of Professional Employees (TCO): surveys show that most workers in the Baltic Sea region would be willing to actively contribute to societal security, but their involvement is limited by a lack of basic information, procedures, and action plans for crisis situations.

“Speaking about the Lithuanian context, strengthening societal resilience is one of the strategic priorities of national defence. The crises of recent years – the COVID-19 pandemic, the economic consequences of the surge in energy prices, and the war in Ukraine – clearly demonstrated that insufficiently equipped and protected workers in critical sectors become a weak link, which does not contribute to overall security,” emphasizes Januškevičius.

Estonian colleagues reported internal tensions arising from growing defence expenditure combined with frozen public-sector wages.

Meanwhile, representatives of Latvian trade unions noted that even with strong political agreement on defence funding, the country’s social system remains vulnerable. The greatest challenges are seen in healthcare, education, and regional public services, where labour shortages directly undermine national crisis preparedness and overall resilience.

BASTUN adopted a joint position clearly defining trade unions as an integral part of the social and democratic protection system, essential for ensuring the resilience of both the state and society.

The erosion of democracy – a responsibility of political leaders

The democracy conference held on 25 November in Helsinki expanded the discussions launched at the BASTUN meeting, placing them in a broader political and academic context. The event examined changes in the state of democracy in Europe and the role trade unions can play in strengthening and defending democratic institutions.

Dr. Inga Saikkonen, who delivered the keynote address, presented the latest research showing a marked global decline in democracy: in 2025, the level of democracy returned to its 1996 state, and signs of autocratization are now observed in more than 40 countries. Even more importantly, the research highlighted a dangerous trend among voters: growing tolerance for anti-democratic actions when they align with their political expectations. This indicates that stated support for democracy does not necessarily translate into a willingness to defend it in practice.

The conference also emphasized the responsibility of politicians in safeguarding democratic values: it is political leaders who shape public understanding of what is considered acceptable in the public sphere. If major political parties tolerate or even normalize violations of democratic rules, public trust in state institutions weakens and democratic standards gradually erode. Such processes are particularly dangerous because democratic decline usually happens gradually and not always visibly, while the consequences become clear only when restoring lost norms becomes extremely difficult.

Inequality fuels social radicalization

Elinor Odeberg, presenting Sweden’s economic outlook, pointed out that rapidly growing income inequality in the Nordic countries may become a serious challenge.

As capital income and corporate profits rise faster than average wages, and social systems fail to compensate for these disparities, social exclusion grows in these countries. Such conditions weaken societal resilience and make societies more vulnerable to informational and political manipulation.

According to Odeberg, this is not only an economic problem but also a democratic one, as growing inequality reduces trust in institutions, fuels radicalization, and complicates the development of social dialogue – all of which directly affects regional stability and the ability to stay united in times of crisis.