Finland’s rise into the group of countries with the highest unemployment rates in Europe is striking. Even more striking is that this is not the result of a single, sudden crisis, but rather the collision of several long-smoldering structural problems. The economy has stagnated for an extended period, business investment has remained modest, and at … Read more
Historical comparisons have a bad reputation. They’re used too often, too casually, and all too frequently as political weapons with little factual basis or serious analysis behind them. Yet it is precisely through history that we try to understand the dynamics of authoritarianism, the concentration of power, and the erosion of democracy. But is it … Read more
The “rules-based international order” has, since World War II, largely been a story the Western world has told itself: a world in which international rules are respected, sovereignty is honored, and disputes are resolved in institutions rather than on the battlefield. Now that story seems to be breaking down—fast. The extraordinary U.S. military operation in … Read more
The Monroe Doctrine seems to have stepped back out of the history books into the world of the living — now reborn as the Donroe Doctrine. But has a new Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact already been concluded as well — and are we already living with its consequences? History has a habit of repeating itself. The United … Read more
Donald Trump’s second presidential term has made visible what scholars of democracy have long pointed out: systems do not collapse spectacularly overnight. They first begin to weaken in those areas that relied less on legislation and more on people’s self-restraint and shared rules of the game. In the 1800s, U.S. President Andrew Jackson built a … Read more
Right now, several generations live side by side, each with a very different relationship to war and its threat. There are children, teenagers, and adults for whom the Cold War is nothing more than the title of a chapter in a history book, and many no longer have anyone in their close circle who still … Read more
Eloisa’s cost-cutting measures targeting Vaalijala don’t affect only South Savo – they threaten to dismantle a national center of expertise built over decades and shift overall costs, many times larger than the individual regional savings, onto the entire social and healthcare system. Eloisa’s adjustment measures now strike at the heart of Vaalijala. Closing four rehabilitation … Read more
It’s easy to understand the frustration of Finnish Teboil franchise owners. For years, they’ve built their businesses, served customers, paid taxes, and created jobs. Now their livelihoods are at risk — not because of any mistake of their own, but because of a geopolitical storm. From a human point of view, that feels deeply unfair. … Read more
Finland’s new regional welfare areas were established about two and a half years ago after a long and heated reform process. They came with promises of more equal and accessible services, as well as a more cost-effective system. Yet many citizens are now asking: what did we actually get in return? Waiting lists are growing, … Read more
These days I feel like grabbing a roll of heavy-duty aluminum foil from the kitchen and fashioning a hat before daring to open the newsfeed. The twists and turns now outdo the wildest Cold War spy thrillers—yet at the same time, they sometimes look like something straight out of an ’80s slapstick comedy. When Russian … Read more