Upcoming events
Talk: Changing EU-UK relations and the role the European Parliament
Sep 17, 2026
Talk: Changing EU-UK relations and the role the European Parliament by Leena Linnus, Head of the European Parliament Liaison Office in the UK
Venue: Allen Room (First Floor), St Anne’s Church, 55 Dean Street, Soho, London W1D 6AF at 3 p.m. on 17 September 2026
BREXIT was realised when the UK formally departed the EU on 31 January 2020, marking the end of its 47-year membership. Its departure was far from smooth and left open huge questions about the nature of its future relationship with the EU. Some agreements on cooperation in specific areas have been reached and others are being sought. Where this will all lead to strategically is unclear; all we can be sure of is that the relationship in the immediate aftermath of Brexit is evolving.
Leena will talk about the change in EU-UK relations and the role that the European Parliament is playing in it.
About Leena Linnus
Based in London, Leena was appointed on 1 July 2025 to head the European Parliament Liaison Office. Her role is to steer the Office in its role of representing the European Parliament in the UK, liaison with the Westminster and devolved parliaments and engagement with the public and civil society, be they British or EU citizens based in the UK.
Prior to her current appointment, Leena had progressed her career over almost 30 years in various roles in the European Parliament. Until 2025, she served as the Director-General for Infrastructure and Logistics for 10 years, during which time she led an overall reform of the Directorate-General of almost 700 staff members, with the aim to provide Parliament Members and staff with appropriate, safe and secure, environmentally friendlier, accessible, creative and modern working conditions in a period of budgetary scarcity.
Her career with the European Parliament began in 1996 and over the next 9 years she progressed through a range of communications and press related positions. In 2005, she moved on to the secretariat of the Bureau and the Conference of Presidents, assisting Parliament’s top political and administrative policy making, until 2007 when she became Cabinet member of the Parliament’s former Secretary-General, and in 2012, Director for Logistics.
She is multi-lingual speaking Finnish, English, Swedish and French. She is passionate about European politics and democracy, in her support of the rule of law, Trans-Atlantic co-operation, security and defence policy and support towards Ukraine and other Central Eastern European applicant countries. In her new role in London, she is very much looking forward to helping support a new strategic partnership between the UK and EU.
To book your tickets, please go to:
NEW NORDIC VOICES – A CONTEMPORARY FILM FESTIVAL
Oct 2 - Oct 4, 2026
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Open in new tab NEW NORDIC VOICES – A CONTEMPORARY FILM FESTIVAL
2 – 4 October 2026
Location: University College London ( UCL) East Cinema, One Pool Street, Stratford, London E20 2AF
Free screenings of 14 recent films from across the Nordic region all with Englishsubtitles. RESERVE YOUR SEATS NOW.
The Festival
As part of UCL’s 200th anniversary celebrations, the University’s Department of Scandinavian Studies is organising a three-day festival celebrating the richness and diversity ofcontemporary Nordic film. Over the course of the period from Friday 2 October to Sunday 4 October2026, fourteen (14) recently – released films across the major languages of the Nordic region will be showcased. In addition to Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian and Swedish, there will be films in Greenlandic, Faroese, Old Norse and the Sami language group.
This unique festival is designed to promote the creativity of pan-Nordic filmmaking andprovide a platform for UK audiences to watch and appreciate Nordic film. Above is a flyer with the full film programme and timings of adjacent events.
All films will be screened at UCL’s Community Cinema located on UCL East’s campus inStratford. The cinema is ultramodern, able to seat an audience of around 150 and with full sound and lighting facilities.
The UCL East campus occupies part of the site used to host the 2012 Olympics. It istherefore well connected to public transport with the campus being a 10–15-minute walkfrom Stratford Main line and Underground station.
The role of the Anglo-Finnish Society / Opportunities for members
The A-FS has agreed to support this innovative festival as follows:
Fallen Leaves. We are facilitating the screening of the Finnish language film, which will be Aki Kaurismäki’s romantic comedy Kuolleet Lehdet (Fallen Leaves). This film will be screened at 20.00 on Friday 2 October.
Je’vida. Although not finally confirmed, we will likely facilitate the screening of Je’vida, a dramatic film about a Skolt Sami woman (called Je’vida) who struggles with coming to terms with her painful past. It is the first full feature film made in the Skolt Sami language and will be screened at 16.30 on Saturday 3 October.
To attend screenings, you must reserve tickets in advance. As a supporter of the festival, A-FS members have first access to tickets for all 14 films until 15August, after which date tickets will be available to the public. Of course you can continue to reserve tickets after that date. The link to Eventbrite where you may reserve tickets is below.
As a supporter, we also have spaces reserved for the drinks reception at 18.30 on Saturday 3 October. Numbers for this event, which is being funded by the Nordic embassies, are limited. You will note that the reception is being held immediately after the screening of Je’vida .
We are also considering whether to hold a drinks reception for members and their guests before the screening of Fallen Leaves on Friday 2 October either at UCL East campus or a nearby location off campus.
Actions required
1. Film screenings. Please reserve your places for both Fallen Leaves and Je’vida plus any other screenings that are of interest preferably before 15 August. As noted above you will be able to make reservations after that date but tickets cannot be guaranteed. Make your reservations using the link in the attached flyer.
2. Drinks reception 3 October. Please email the Hon. Secretary at secretary@anglofinnishsociety.org.uk asap if you would like to attend the reception. Spaces will be allocated on a first come basis. We will let you know as soon as possible whether a drinks reception on Friday 2 October exclusive to members and guests is being arranged.
The link to Eventbrite where you may reserve tickets is here: New Nordic Voices Film Festival (Public Admission) | Eventbrite
King Sigismund Dinner
Oct 14, 2026
Our Second King Sigismund Dinner in collaboration with the Anglo-Swedish Society is due to take place on 14 October 2026 at Ognisko Polskie – please save the date. Further details to follow nearer the time.
Finnish Christmas Lunch at the Finnish Church in London
Dec 11, 2026
Further details to follow nearer the time.