A recent Guardian article by Mike Watson describes how bad life in Finland is under the right wing government. In summary, it appears that Finland is not Watson’s vision of the leftist paradise he dreamed of. From my own experience, his article gives a very false impression of Finnish life.
Many people idealise Finland but it is certainly not a social-democratic utopia. Like every country, it has its big and small economic hurdles. And, yes, this has caused a rise in popularity of the populist right.
There’s worse and worse
Watson moved to Finland from Italy in 2018, whereas I relocated from Scotland only two years ago. So, our points of reference are not the same. Prices have definitely gone up since 2022 and there have been cuts to public services. However, a British reader of Watson’s article must understand one thing: “things are getting worse” does not mean the same in Finland as in the UK. The Finnish struggles are nothing compared with what people in the UK have experienced – and the quality of services (and food) remains much higher here in Finland than what I knew in the UK.
Are electricity prices going up? Yes, but I pay less than €40 (£33) per month for a large two bedroom flat. Are buses less reliable? You could say so. Since living here, the bus has failed to arrive four times, and three of those were in 2024. Luckily, on weekdays, buses leave from my doorstep up to every 4 minutes, so there is no risk of the kind of long wait for infrequent buses that there was on my last visit to Glasgow.
The Finnish bureaucracy is a nightmare, but however contradictory this might sound, it is very user-friendly. The state does not hide behind a semi-automatic online system or call centres staffed by poorly paid people. You can still go into an office, talk with a living person, and every letter from the government identifies the contact details of a helpful person dealing with your case. And there are little things that matter. When I received an official document with my name spelled ORYNSKI, it came with a little note, “your surname contains letters that we are unable to print correctly, for which we apologise”. This is such a contrast to British systems which flag up a big red message telling you to “use only real letters”.
Investment in its people
I live in the biggest Finnish city and am yet to see a homeless person sleeping on the street. Yes, unemployment is growing, but the social security net is there to support you. Imagine my shock when I discovered that I am entitled to jobseekers’ allowance despite working in the country for less than a year. Moreover, the rate is more per day than I would be getting per week in Scotland, where I paid taxes for nearly 20 years.
Incidentally, not a single Finnish person has told me I am “a benefit scrounger” as many in Britain might have done. Instead, I was invited to train on a year-long full-time course, learning the Finnish language, culture, politics and other skills. All while receiving a generous stipend.
The Finns take pride in their system. They expect me to share their admiration on how wonderfully their country works and the systems taking care of those in need. While I am paid to study, I am not seen as a cost, but as an investment. 93% of Finns are happy to pay taxes to support their social welfare system and many public services – such as the wonderful network of public libraries.
Health care
Watson is right: waiting times for health care are long, at least for non-urgent cases. But waiting times are not necessarily the only thing that matters.
While I was in Scotland, I had to nag my GP for a couple of years to investigate a minor heath problem before he finally referred me for a routine test. When it came back ‘inconclusive’, his discouraging response was, “Well, I guess we’ll just have to address the matter when it gets worse!”
In Finland, as a worker, I receive an extensive bi-annual medical examination. I have never been examined so thoroughly in my life. I was tested, prodded, screened and imaged in every possible way. My minor issue came up. Although outside the scope of an occupational health check, after an initial test, I was referred to the general healthcare system for further evaluation. It took a year for all these tests and examinations, and finally, I saw a specialist. He carefully explained what the tests showed, what they excluded and what the root cause was. I am calm now as I know the doctors did everything to investigate, diagnose, treat and look after me. The total bill was €46 (£36).
Right and left can mean different things to different people
Watson paints Finland as a country that is falling apart since the radical right took power. Unlike Britain, the Finnish political system is built on compromise. There is no single dominating party as in the UK where you have a ‘first past the post’ system, but rather, a system of proportional representation. The parties – usually with very different views and values – are forced to cooperate with each other. So, the most radical ideas are smoothed out as compromise is achieved. And even the Finnish right is moderate by European standards.
So, yes, the standard of life in Finland may be dropping, but compared with post-Brexit Britain, even today’s Finland is a true paradise on earth. And don’t take it from me, just listen to what problems Finns are complaining about:
