IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE ELECTIONS intense coverage has been afforded to the issues that Finland’s incoming government faces. While many publications have highlighted the falling birth rate as a major concern, this week one international outlet went as far as describing Finland as ‘Europe’s Japan’, stressing that decades of ‘stagflation’ and decline lie ahead if current trends continue. 

IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN.This week the UN’s annualWorld Happiness Report revealed that Finland has retained its top position as the “world’s happiest country” for the second year running, prompting several articles and opinion pieces about what Finland does differently. The US-based hipster bibleVicetook a slightly different approach, uploading aYouTube video questioning whether Finns are actually happy in any emotional sense.

A scheme offeringforeign professionals the opportunity to live in Finland for a fixed time received substantial international coverage this week as it garnered thousands of applications. 

Helsinki Business Hub, an international trade and investment promotion agency based in the Finnish capital region, launched the “90 Day Finn” programme in November. The programme enables U.S. tech specialists and their families to relocate to Finland for a period of 90 days.  

MUCH OF THIS WEEK’S international coverage of Finland concerned the formation of the national government, which will be bringing the first left-wing prime minister in over 20 years into power. 

Much of the coverage from major publications concerned the progressive and ambitious policy proposals of the incoming government, as well as the fact that the majority of the cabinet is female.  

INTERNATIONAL COVERAGE OF FINLAND this week was dominated by the results of the national election, which saw the ruling conservative coalition lose its majority, whilst the far-right Finns Party crept up to second place.  

All of the major global news outlets have offered their own analysis of the shock results, with opinions ranging from incredulity to dismay to optimism. Some outlets focused on what the results signify about the future of EU elections and the entrenchment of far-right populists on the political scene.  

A MAJOR STORY concerning Finland in the international press this week centered on an upcoming white nationalist conference in Turku, which will host prominent hate figures and neo-Nazis from the US, Ukraine, Sweden, and Russia. The conference, known as ‘Awakening II’, will feature speakers from across the spectrum of the growing right-wing “identitarian movement” in Europe.  

Finland’s performanceat the 2021 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships drew significant attention from the global press this week. After suffering a heartbreaking defeat against the U.S., the team rallied to beat Russia and win the bronze medal on Tuesday.

While Russia initially gained a 0-1 lead less than seven minutes into the game, the Finns came back with four unanswered goals. 

FINLAND MADE GLOBAL HEADLINES THIS WEEKfollowing the release of a report from the National Archives that concluded it was “highly likely” that Finnish volunteers participated in the large-scale killing of Jews during the Holocaust. National newspapers and public figures in the US, UK, and Israel commented on the revelations that Finnish volunteers working for the Nazi SS participated in mass murder, while praising the decision of the National Archives to publish the findings.

ONE WIDELY-SHARED ARTICLE in the world press this week came from a popular science magazine which revealed that despite Finland’s efforts to fight climate change, the country is actually warming up at double the global average rate. They also interviewed Finland’s former environment minister to get her thoughts on the looming ecological catastrophe.  

ONE OF THE MAJOR STORIES concerning Finland in the international press this week was the revelation that it is officially the fittest country in the world, according to the latest rankings by the World Health Organization.  

VISIT FINLAND’S LATEST PR INITIATIVEgrabbed headlines around the world this week, one which promises happiness-starved travellers a chance to “rent a Finn” to show them around the country. The scheme is open to applicants from anywhere in the world,

with successful entrants being awarded an all-expenses-paid trip around the country, accompanied by a happy Finn who will show them the secret to “the Finnish way of life”.

Since COVID- 19 restrictions across the world are compelling people to stay indoors, the Finnish activity of “Kalsarikänni,” which involves drinking alcohol in your underwear at home, attracted new proponents this week. 

Cultural and tourism websiteThis is Finland defines Kalsarikänni or “pantsdrunk” as “the feeling when you are going to get drunk home alone in your underwear—with no intention of going out.” 

THE RESIGNATION OF THE FINNISH GOVERNMENT dominated international headlines about Finland this week, with editorials displaying a mixture of surprise, concern, and bafflement at the decision.

Juha Sipilä’s resignation over a failure to deliver promised wide-ranging reforms to health and social care has been described by the international press as cynical, justified, and unnecessary in equal measure. 

FINLAND CAPTURED THE ATTENTION of sports desks around the world this week following their stunning victory at the world hockey championship finals in Bratislava. Much of the focus was on how Finland managed to beat firm favourites Canada despite not having a single NHL player on their roster, something which has only happened once before in the history of the tournament.  

International newspapers coveredthe launch of Finland’s new icebreaker model–the Calypso–this week. The sustainable vessel is fitted with a hybrid motorised removable bow, which is capable of cutting through ice upto 70 cm thick.

The motorised bow is the largest of its kind and is powered by technology developed by Danish multinational Danfoss. 

A WIDELY-READ ARTICLE published this week in the British newspaper The Telegraph attracted plenty of commentary for its comparison of WW2-era Finland to the current state of politics in the United Kingdom.  

The lengthy piece, written by a prominent historian, argues that the Finnish government’s response to successive crises should serve as a role model for a post-Brexit UK, concluding that the country “needs its own General Mannerheim”.  

A MAJOR NEWS STORY in the international press this week concerned Thursday’s announcement that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will be heading to Finland to participate in the 22nd annual meeting of the Arctic Council on May 7. 

THIS WEEK IT WAS REVEALEDthat the scale of undocumented refugees and asylum seekers in Finland is much greater than anyone anticipated. Recent reports have shown that as many as half of the 30,000 asylum seekers that entered Finland at the height of the refugee crisis may have “slipped underground”, with authorities having little to no details on their whereabouts or wellbeing.

This has been attributed to Finland’s notoriously strict laws on seeking asylum and gaining legal residency in the country.

Onkalo, Finland’s spent fuel repository, made headlines this week when the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency called the project a game-changer for the nuclear industry. 

Onkalo will be the world’s first deep geological repository for spent nuclear fuel. It is currently under construction in Eurajoki, West Finland, and will be situated close to the Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant. 

The Finnish town of Sallamade headlines this week when it launched a bid to host the 2032 Summer Olympics. Located in Lapland, temperatures in what is sometimes called Finland’s coldest town often drop to -50℃.

The bid is actually a humorous attempt to draw attention to the effects of climate change. The video depicts residents playing summer sports such as beach volleyball and swimming in winter conditions.