Is that a subtle sulk growing on the face of 'the happiest nation on Earth'?
Helsinki's vibrant Bohemian northern district, a long breadline snaked down Helsinginkatu and then up Kustaankatu. Nearly 500 people were waiting in the freezing queue for the weekly handout of free food.
Breadlines became a familiar phenomenon in Finland since the recession years of the early 1990s. It's looming again. In 2023, GDP declined 0.5% and Finland's central bank says while inflation is easing and households' purchasing power rising, GDP could contract by a further 0.2% in 2024.
On the same Wednesday morning, the UN-sponsored World Happiness Report (WHR) declared Finland as the happiest country in the world for the 7th year running. As in the past, other Nordic countries, Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden were cheek by jowl to Finland.
Seven years of being 'the happiest' is probably exhausting — media coverage of WHR was bereft of any hyperbole or exuberance. The largest newspaper, Helsingin Sanomat, ran a terse report with a photo that showed Finnish kids playing ice hockey. And, in a post on X, Finland's newly-elected president Alexander Stubb listed his three reasons why Finland is #1: nature, trust, education. To which, one comment said, 'Please tell that to Aki Kaurismaki, he doesn't seem to know that!' Kaurismaki, of course, is Finland's best-known director whose films are known for their melancholic themes.
Finnish media gave short shrift to the ranking because there are other matters of concern. Ongoing strikes by labour unions have disrupted life across the country. They are protesting Finland's
