Alexander Stubb's new government preoccupied the newspapers on Tuesday. The incoming PM named three new ministers on Monday, and shuffled Paula Risikko from Health to Transport, but they will only be in their jobs for ten months at most before the next elections.
That shorter timespan prompted a sceptical Iltalehti editorial headlined 'Vaalivankurihallitus', or 'government is a prisoner of the elections'. The Paper is concerned about the relatively inexperienced new minister for Health and Social Affairs, Laura Räty, who will now be in charge of controversial reforms to the municipal health and social care systems.
Meanwhile Aamulehti prefers to focus on the punishing attrition rate in the ranks of the 2011 government. Its front page shows that of the 19 ministers originally appointed by Jyrki Katainen in 2011, just eight now remain. Their reasons are many and varied: scandals, leadership changes, spending more time with family, sackings, moving to work for lobbyists and a plain and simple policy difference have all caused ministerial departures.
Super expensive Finland
Iltalehti had happier news for the incoming government on page 6, where it detailed the reasons it says Finland is so expensive. Alexander Stubb has said he wants to lower taxes, which is the fourth item on IL's list. High salaries, lack of competition, regulation, a small population and geographical isolation are the other reasons Iltalehti says your groceries cost more here than elsewhere.
Yle News could not find that story online, but did find that the same 'Super Expensive Finland' headline was used on an Iltalehti story way back in 2008. The issue is close to the hearts of Finns and tabloid newspapers, and has been for some time.
Not so competitive?
Further support for Stubb's low-tax impulses comes from Risto Penttilä, the head of the Finnish Chamber of Commerce, who writes in the Financial Times about Finland's difficulties. He says that the labour market is too rigid, the state is too big and that taxes are too high. He was responding to a World Economic Forum comparison showing Finland as the third most competitive country in the world.
Finnish business leaders 'thought someone was pulling their leg' when they saw the rankings, according to Penttilä. He says Finland's economy is stagnant because of bad luck and bad policies. The bad luck 'came to Finland in the form of Steve Jobs', whose Apple iPhone destroyed Nokia's mobile market share, and the bad policies are the responsibility of government. He does not evaluate the management of the country's businesses, which has been heavily criticised elsewhere, especially in the case of Nokia, but does enigmatically concede that 'leadership matters'.
Finns in Europe
The Lapland daily Lapin Kansa had a double-page spread on local football club RoPS. Not only did the team get a 1-1 draw away at MYPA yesterday, but they also drew Greek side Asteras Tripolis in the Europa League. It's the first European match in two decades for Lapland's biggest football club, but unfortunately for them they'll have to play their home game in Oulu. Their Rovaniemi stadium is undergoing renovations to have it Uefa-standard by 2015, but for now the team and its fans will have to travel south.
Finland's other teams in European competition also discovered their opponents on Monday. HJK Helsinki will play Macedonian team Rabotnicki in the Champions League, FC Honka take on Kalev Sillamäe of Estonia, VPS Vaasa will play Sweden's Brommapojkarna and MYPA got Iceland's ÍF Fuglafjørður.
