ROME - A few days before his official inauguration on March 1st, the newly elected President of the Finnish Republic, Alexander Stubb, flew to Florence to finalize the closure of his relationship as professor and director, from May 1, 2020, of the School of Transnational Governance, an institute, based in Florence, part of the the European University Institute, EUI, based in Fiesole.

 Stubb, meeting teachers, students and guests, held what could be defined as a farewell lesson, defining the period spent in Tuscany as the best years of his life and considering himself proud of what he had achieved at the School, together with the entire staff of the institution, expressing gratitude for the opportunity to have been part of something new, similar to an innovative venture.

 In his farewell speech, interspersed with some joking jokes, he also reflected on how the world was in 1989, the year in which he studied in the USA, and which marked the end of the Cold War, raising hopes, while, “currently is experiencing a period of greater desperation: there are two major wars underway and numerous smaller conflicts. History has not stopped, and not all countries have moved towards liberal democracy." For Stubb, students of our time find themselves facing a "much greater mission" in the world than he had at the time, highlighting that if students themselves feel discouraged it means that teachers have not conveyed the message well that students are the ones who can change the situation, inviting them not simply to hope but also to act, with a commitment in the sectors of society most congenial to them. To those who asked him what the three priorities of his mandate might be, Stubb replied that they are "peace, peace and peace". The main objective of a President is to maintain peace, if the possibility arises and, once his term has ended mandate, that we want to make sure to keep Finland as one of the best countries in the world, based on an open society, a liberal democracy and a well-functioning social system.

 On the occasion of his farewell meeting, Stubb also inaugurated a "peace room" named after Martti Ahtisaari, former President of the Finnish Republic and Nobel Peace Prize winner in 2008, in the Buontalenti palace, headquarters of the School. Present at the inauguration was also Ahtisaari's son, Marko Ahtisaari. On the occasion, Stubb stated that “Martti Ahtisaari was a mentor, a father figure and a teacher to me. A person I admired. His Nobel Prize was a source of great pride for us Finns.” On his Facebook profile she commented on his greeting as follows: “nice to see colleagues and friends in Florence. An emotional farewell. Nostalgic. Four wonderful years with students, classmates, staff and faculty. We have built the foundations of a unique school together. When I started in 2020 we at the Florence School of Transnational Governance were a start-up of less than 30 people. Today we are a family of just under 300 people. We come from all over the world, with different life paths. At first we didn't have our own building. Now we are in the center of Florence, at Palazzo Buontalenti, one of the largest public restoration projects of the Italian State. I am so proud of what our group has achieved. At the same time I think this is just the beginning and I wish you the best and I am sure that you will take the School to the next level."

 Stubb had arrived in Florence from Munich where he was attending the Security Conference, an annual meeting reserved for world leaders and politicians. During the event, when asked by journalists whether the West had failed to support Ukraine, Stubb responded that "if the West had failed to support Ukraine, it would no longer exist." For Stubb, who was Foreign Minister in 2008, when Russia invaded Georgia, Georgia was probably a minor issue for Vladimir Putin, while the war in Ukraine is not, believing that "this war is too big for Putin to fail, and that's what which makes it quite problematic." Stubb believes that support for Ukraine must be continuous, both economically and militarily, stressing that weapons deliveries represent a current challenge as the only thing Putin understands is power. If any show weakness - any weak element - he attacks. He also stressed that Russia must be held responsible for the war in Ukraine and the death of Alexei Navalny. He called for China's involvement in the resolution of the conflict since it has a primary role in relations with Russia.

 Stubb described his informal meetings in Munich as helpful, including discussions with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stöhre, as well as former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The Munich meeting marked Stubb's first public statements since he won the presidential election.