US President Donald Trump's Greenland threats are casting Finland's icebreaker deal in a new light, according to Helsingin Sanomat's editorial, which suggests Finland could find itself in an uncomfortable position.
Trump's sudden mood shifts pose dilemmas for countries like Finland, which are dependent on the superpower, HS writes. Since Russia invaded Ukraine, Finland has anchored its security to the United States, through Nato membership, a bilateral defence agreement and President Alexander Stubb's golf diplomacy.
America's growing interest in the Arctic has so far been viewed as a boon for Finland's own security. The icebreaker deal has been hailed as a rare bright spot in an otherwise gloomy economic situation. Finland is set to supply America with up to 11 of these vessels, beginning in 2028.
But things could take a darker turn if the US turns to imperialism in the Nordic region, HS writes, as the Finnish-built icebreakers could double as warships.
Life in the Arctic
What's it like living above the Arctic Circle when you really need to get to the hospital?
Maaseudun tulevaisuus approaches the topic of Finland's shrinking rural hospital network through the story of a mother of twins who went into labour three months prematurely.
It's some 160 kilometres from the fell village of Ylläsjärvi in Kolari to Lapland Central Hospital in Rovaniemi, or two hours by car.
When Sophie Rostain went into labour, an ambulance from Kittilä sped south to reach her while another was dispatched from Rovaniemi carrying a midwife. By the time the midwife reached Sophie, the birth was already underway. The twins went on to become the smallest babies ever born in Finland during a journey to the hospital, weighing just over 900 grams and one kilogram respectively.
Rostain, who is French, has lived in Finland for ten years. In France, maternity hospitals are close by, making births en route to the hospital a rarity, according to MT.
Staying put
Finland has the highest unemployment rate in the EU, and that is also impacting people's willingness to change jobs.
Citing staffing company Barona's latest annual working life survey, Kauppalehti reports that 34 percent of people are currently considering changing jobs, down from 38 percent a couple of years ago.
The urge to move is strongest among those under 40, with pay by far the most important reason behind such plans.
At the same time, the poll also found that an increasing number of Finns expect to still be working at 70. Thirty-six percent said they foresee themselves in the workforce at that age. Yet the idea of working beyond 70 unsettled some three-quarters of respondents.
