"The limited number of months of student financial aid and other incentives for early graduation mean that people do not dare to go on exchange during their studies.

The same applies to internships abroad: students are forced to ask themselves whether it is really worth getting a delayed degree. This does not benefit students or the increasingly internationalised world of work," says Adlercreutz.Adlercreutz emphasises that international experience helps to increase understanding of other cultures."Both exchanges and internships abroad are effective ways to counteract the polarisation that threatens us. An Erasmus+ exchange programme that has a strong and predictable funding system behind it therefore supports the EU and its functioning in a concrete way," Adlercreutz continues.Ståhle highlights the problem of unpaid internships, which has been discussed both nationally and in the EU. In February, the European Commission presented a proposal on how to improve the quality and accessibility of traineeships in the EU. Ståhle thinks that the proposal could have been more ambitious."The discussion around the directive sounded very promising, but the proposal did not live up to the expectations that existed. All trainees should receive a fair salary for their work – in this way, we can also improve the opportunities for everyone, regardless of socio-economic status, to apply to another EU country to do a traineeship," says Ståhle.Nevertheless, the proposal is a step in the right direction and will hopefully contribute to more people applying for internships abroad, for example in the EU institutions. This is particularly important for Finland, as the number of Finns working in institutions is likely to decrease significantly in the coming years."The incentives to apply for internships or jobs in Brussels and elsewhere need to be in order. This requires us to review the structures and attitudes we have today. In this way, we can open new doors for young people, strengthen cohesion and advance Finland's cause in Brussels," Adlercreutz and Ståhle say.