Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Tatu Ahponen
Finland’s far right: Between scandal and mainstream
First published at Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung. The Finnish government was sent into upheaval almost as soon as it was formed in June last year, as multiple revelations of racist statements and memes emerged concerning one of the new coalition’s two main parties – The Finns, a far-right nationalist anti-immigration party.
Understanding Labor Unions in Finland
In Finland, unions have teeth. Usually, they do not need to bare them. However, during the nine months of right wing in the government in Finland, the Finnish unions been running regular strike actions to remind the government of this fact. Thus far, the government has not budged.
Finland’s Neoliberal and Far-Right Alliance Is a Sign of Things to Come in Europe
Finland’s new government had been in power for less than two weeks before entering into crisis. Vilhelm Junnila, the new minister of economic affairs, from the nationalist Finns Party, turned out to have had a history of far-right signaling, including jokes implying affinity toward Adolf Hitler. In a tight vote of confidence, he didn’t even get the support of all the new government’s ministers and resigned in disgrace a few days later. Junnila is not the only controversial politician in his party.
Sanna Marin’s Government Failed Because It Wasn’t Ambitious Enough
It is on domestic policy that Marin’s government courted the most controversy. Successive governments have tried and failed to reform Finland’s health and social care sectors, and her government was no different. While the reforms answered some of these challenges, the poor provision of basic services in Finland’s rural areas and the dysfunction of health care in Helsinki, characterized by long-standing troubles in the capital’s maternity hospitals, have continued.
What Happened in Finland
Four years ago, the Finnish left was content. For decades, Finland had been governed by governments who, in the name of efficiency and globalisation, slowly but steadily chipped away at the framework of labour negotiations, state ownership and indicative planning that underpinned the welfare state. The social and health care system was creaking, and weariness was displayed across public services. Economic growth was sluggish, and birthrates were in decline.
How the nuclear debate was resolved (for now) in Finland
Energy is certainly a hot topic. The climate crisis moves onward at its own crushing pace. At the same time, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the resulting sanctions and countersanctions and the general related economic crisis and inflation are creating friction. The events challenge the political sustainability of one of the main proposed solutions to the climate crisis; the process of moving towards fossil-free energy production. This has also led to a new appraisal of nuclear power.
Finland Is Closer Than Ever to Joining NATO
In 2007, a Finnish conservative politician summarized the country’s three main security considerations as “Russia, Russia and Russia.” Many Finns have again brought up these words in recent months.
Finland Is Closer Than Ever to Joining NATO
In 2007, a Finnish conservative politician summarized the country’s three main security considerations as “Russia, Russia and Russia.” Many Finns have again brought up these words in recent months.
Finland’s Public Childcare System Puts the Rest of the World to Shame
The autumn is a colorful time in Finland. The trees turn yellow and then red before the leaves fall. Neon pinks and yellows also appear — the reflective vests of toddlers and children venturing out to explore parks and cities with their day care teachers. In Finland, these sights are omnipresent. The country’s free or inexpensive public and private day care is, in many suburbs, so extensive that it seems every block might well have one.
Koronapassi: Ovi auki terveysperustaiselle syrjinnälle
Koronavirustapaukset ovat nousussa. Näinä hetkinä etsitään usein kuumeisesti uusia ratkaisuja ja tehdään uusia ehdotuksia koronaviruksen torjumiseen ja yhteiskunnan pitämiseen pystyssä suhteen. Suomessakin on keskusteluun noussut maan sisäinen koronapassi, eli se, että EU:n matkustamiseen tarkoitettua koronatodistusta käytettäisiin mahdollistamaan esimerkiksi baareihin, kirjastoihin tai saleille pääseminen, ja vastaavasti nämä suljettaisiin muilta, etupäässä rokottamattomilta.
In Finland, Students Get Free Meals So They Don’t Have to Learn Hungry
If there’s something the Finnish welfare state is known for, even in comparison to the other Nordic welfare states, it’s education. Finland’s PISA scores have been world-class for years, and the northern country’s education system has featured in countless gushing articles and academic studies. It’s even received visits from foreign educators who wish to emulate its success. However, testing and scores are not all it has to offer.
The Pandemic Is Making the European Union More Integrated - And More Unequal
A version of this article was published in Finnish at Verkkolehti Kahl. According to French president Emmanuel Macron, the latest European Union summit was a “moment of truth.” The dramatic impact of such a statement might have been lessened a bit by the fact that he was simply repeating his own words from three months ago.
Class Struggle Built the Finnish Welfare State
Late last year, news circulated that freshly minted Finnish prime minister Sanna Marin, a thirty-four-year old Social Democrat, wanted to reduce the working week to four days and thirty hours. The plan quickly garnered international attention — Finland, it seemed, was yet again setting the standard for ambitious progressive reforms.
Finland Divided
Subscribe to Tribune today and get a full year of print, including the new spring issue, for just £20. On April 14th, Finns went to the polls to elect a new parliament. What was originally billed as a showdown between Finland’s right-wing government and the centre-left parties over issues like austerity, welfare, social and health care was, in the end, overshadowed by a culture war.
Our Welfare Isn’t Business’s Business
It all seemed so promising back in 2015, when the “three S’s” — Juha Sipilä, Timo Soini, and Alexander Stubb — announced their new government. The dapper Europhile Stubb, leader of Finland’s traditional conservative party, enthused that the forces joining in coalition seemed almost to have merged. He, and the whole Finnish center-right, thought this would be the government that would finally reform the social and health care system and achieve capital’s long-standing aim of forcing labor to heel.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Tatu
Contact Tatu, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack