Finland

Too much of Finnish reality depends on uniquely Finnish circumstances. Finland is as big as two Missouris, but with just 5.2 million residents, it’s ethnically and religiously homogeneous. A strong Lutheran work ethic, combined with a powerful sense of probity, dominates the society. ~ Robert G. Kaiser

Homogeneity has led to consensus: Every significant Finnish political party supports the welfare state and, broadly speaking, the high taxation that makes it possible. And Finns have extraordinary confidence in their political class and public officials. Corruption is extremely rare. ~ Robert G. Kaiser

Koli National Park in North Karelia

Finland (Finnish: Suomi), officially the Republic of Finland, is a country in the northern European Union, a peninsula with Gulf of Finland to the south and Gulf of Bothnia to the west. It has land borders with Sweden and Norway to the north and Russia to the east. Finland is part of the geographic region of Fennoscandia, which also includes Scandinavia and parts of Russia. It is a member of the European Union, the Eurozone, and NATO. Its current head of state is President Alexander Stubb, and its current head of government is Prime Minister Petteri Orpo.

Arranged alphabetically by author or source:
A · B · C · D · E · F · G · H · I · J · K · L · M · N · O · P · Q · R · S · T · U · V · W · X · Y · Z · See also · External links

Quotes

B

• America is a founding member of NATO, the military alliance of democratic nations created after World War Two prevent -- to prevent war and keep the peace. And today, we've made NATO stronger than ever. We welcomed Finland to the Alliance last year. And just this morning, Sweden officially joined, and their minister is here tonight. Stand up. Welcome. Welcome, welcome, welcome. And they know how to fight. Mr. Prime Minister, welcome to NATO, the strongest military alliance the world has ever seen.
  • Joe Biden, 2024 State of the Union Address, delivered 7 March 2024

H

• Under-representation of women and other inequality among researchers is a problem that will not solve itself as women acquire competence. As a country whose women are highly educated, Finland is a good example of this.
  • Tarja Halonen, at the opening of the Women of Learning exhibition in Helsinki (8 May 2000)

I

• At stakes are different views of Christianity but also the unique relationship that, although disestablished, the [Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland] maintains with the Finnish state. By filing criminal charges against [Päivi] Räsänen and Bishop [Juhana] Pohjola for their conservative view of homosexuality, the prosecutors are protecting a national consensus that, according to polls, strongly supports LGBT rights and same-sex marriage.
  But they are also protecting the national church against what it perceives as dangerous heresy and schism.
  • Massimo Introvigne, "The Päivi Räsänen Case in Finland: Another View", Bitter Winter (January 27, 2022)

K

• Finns live in smaller homes than Americans and consume a lot less. They spend relatively little on national defense, though they still have universal male conscription, and it is popular. Their per capita national income is about 30 percent lower than ours. Private consumption of goods and services represents about 52 percent of Finland’s economy, and 71 percent of the United States’. Finns pay considerably higher taxes — nearly half their income — while Americans pay about 30 percent on average to federal, state and local governments.
  • Robert G. Kaiser, "Why can’t we be more like Finland?" (25 September 2005), The Seattle Times

• Too much of Finnish reality depends on uniquely Finnish circumstances. Finland is as big as two Missouris, but with just 5.2 million residents, it’s ethnically and religiously homogeneous. A strong Lutheran work ethic, combined with a powerful sense of probity, dominates the society. Homogeneity has led to consensus: Every significant Finnish political party supports the welfare state and, broadly speaking, the high taxation that makes it possible. And Finns have extraordinary confidence in their political class and public officials. Corruption is extremely rare.
  • Robert G. Kaiser, "Why can’t we be more like Finland?" (25 September 2005), The Seattle Times, as quoted in "Ten Reasons We Can’t, and Shouldn’t, Be Nordic" (12 March 2018), by Jim Geraghty, National Review

• I was bothered by a sense of entitlement among many Finns, especially younger people. Sirpa Jalkanen, a microbiologist and biotech entrepreneur affiliated with Turku University in that ancient Finnish port city, told me she was discouraged by "this new generation we have now who love entertainment, the easy life." She said she wished the government would require every university student to pay a "significant but affordable" part of the cost of their education, "just so they’d appreciate it."
  • Robert G. Kaiser, "Why can’t we be more like Finland?" (25 September 2005), The Seattle Times, as quoted in "Ten Reasons We Can’t, and Shouldn’t, Be Nordic" (12 March 2018), by Jim Geraghty, National Review

L

• Finland to the Finns! (Elias Lönnrot)
  • Suuri Sitaattisanakirja. Toimittanut Jarkko Laine. Helsinki: Otava, 1989. ISBN 951-1-10961-8

M

• We are proudly conscious of the historic duty which we shall continue to fulfil; the defence of that Western civilisation which has been our heritage for centuries, but we know also that we have paid to the very last penny any debt we may have owed the West.
  • Carl Gustaf Mannerheim, Farewell order to the Finnish Army, 14th of March 1940

• Finland must apply for NATO membership without delay, [hoping steps to take the decision would] be taken rapidly within the next few days.

(answering question: would joining NATO provoke Russia) My response would be that you caused this. Look at the mirror.

• • Finnish President Sauli Niinistö and Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin Finland's leaders support NATO membership, Sweden expected to follow suit (Thomson Reuters · Posted: May 12, 2022 4:07 AM ET | Last Updated: 1 hour ago)

N

• Finlande is called a fayre Countrye, because it is more pleasanter than Swecia ... Muche wyne is transported thither; out of Spayne, by the sea Balthic, which the people of the Country much desyreth, onely to exhillerat their myndes ... The Finnons have continual warres with the Muscouites in the arme or bosome of the sea Finnonicus: usyng in Summer the ayde of Shyppes, and in Wynter they combat upon the Ise.
  • George North in 1561 (Jonathan Clements, An Armchair Traveller's History of Finland, 2014, bookHaus, ISBN 978-1-909961-00-5)

• Finns were reminded of the events of 1939, when the Soviet Union denied their country’s right to exist and attacked it in the Winter War. More than eighty years later, Russia’s unprovoked aggression against Ukraine did far more to sway opinion in Finland and Sweden than its questioning of their right to join NATO.
  • René Nyberg

P

• Finland is deep sleep. (Erno Paasilinna)
  • Suuri Sitaattisanakirja. Toimittanut Jarkko Laine. Helsinki: Otava, 1989. ISBN 951-1-10961-8

Randy Marsh: Not Finland! Hey, guys? Finland's dead.

• South Park, written by Trey Parker and Matt Stone

R

• It has always seemed odd to me and to the people of the United States to find Finland a partner of Nazi Germany, fighting side by side with the sworn enemies of our civilization. The Finnish people now have a chance to withdraw from this hateful partnership. The longer they stay at Germany's side the more sorrow and suffering is bound to come to them. I think I can speak for all Americans when I say that we sincerely hope Finland will now take the opportunity to disassociate herself from Germany.
  • Franklin D. Roosevelt; Message Urging Finland to Break with Nazi Germany, The American Presidency Project; 22 February 1943

• Finland is devil's land. (Russian proverb)
  • Suuri Sitaattisanakirja. Toimittanut Jarkko Laine. Helsinki: Otava, 1989. ISBN 951-1-10961-8

S

• In America, parents can choose to take their kids to private schools. … In Finland parents can also choose. But the options are all the same.
  • Pasi Sahlberg, as quoted in "Why Finland’s educational model is more conservative than ours" (18 March 2014), by Gracy Olmstead, The American Conservative

• Our legislation in this area needed to be updated, and especially in light of France’s request for armed assistance after the attacks in Paris. We realized that our existing legislation was not flexible enough. We live in a fast changing world, and our laws on overseas military support must reflect new realities.
  • Timo Soini, Finland’s foreign minister, on Finland responding to other nations that are in need of support, such as battling ISIS, quoted on Defense News, "Finnish Legislation Seeks Direct Military Support for Partners", February 18, 2016

• There is faith in Finland. We have a strong history. We have always gotten our economy into shape, and there is still confidence in that abroad. There is faith that the government's measures are correct and that Finland will be able to get its economy onto a growth track and its public finances into order.
  • Heidi Schauman, chief economist at Aktia Bank, says that international institutions still believe in Finland and in the government's austerity measures, quoted on Yle.Fi (February 7, 2016), "Despite dim outlook, Moody's is bullish on Finland"

• This spring will be make-or-break for the Finnish economy. We’ll see Finland again move towards an economic miracle. In Finland we were used to increasing the size of the welfare state because we had so many people in the labour force
  • Finnish finance minister Alexander Stubb, quoted on Irish Times (February 8, 2016), "Finland’s finance minister says country is running out of time"

• Finland is Finland and the birds fly; critics is impossible. (Pentti Saarikoski)
  • Suuri Sitaattisanakirja. Toimittanut Jarkko Laine. Helsinki: Otava, 1989. ISBN 951-1-10961-8

T

• It was like discovering a complete wine-filled cellar filled with bottles of an amazing wine of a kind and flavor never tasted before. It quite intoxicated me….
  • J. R. R. Tolkien on his discovery of the Finnish language, in a letter to W. H. Auden (1955)

U

• Finland is a great country / and Russia is it's province. (Kaarlo Uskela)
  • Suuri Sitaattisanakirja. Toimittanut Jarkko Laine. Helsinki: Otava, 1989. ISBN 951-1-10961-8

Z

• We have issued all our warnings both publicly and through bilateral channels. They [Sweden and Finland] know about it, they will have nothing to be surprised about, they were informed about everything, what will it lead to.
  • Maria Zakharova about Russian reactions in case Finland and Sweden join NATO, quoted in "Russia warns Sweden, Finland about consequences of joining NATO", Firstpost, 20 April 2022

External links

• Encyclopedic article on Finland on Wikipedia
• The dictionary definition of finland on Wiktionary
• Wikijunior:Europe/Finland on Wikibooks
• Works related to Portal:Finland on Wikisource
• Media related to Finland on Wikimedia Commons
• Finland travel guide from Wikivoyage