According to an Uutissuomalainen (USU) poll published on Thursday morning, 61 percent of Finns believe that Donald Trump’s election will weaken Finland’s security. Sixteen percent believe it will have no effect, while seven percent believe that Finland’s security will be strengthened during the term of the Trump administration, at least somewhat.
According to experts interviewed by USU, the results of the poll are linked to how Finns perceive Trump’s personality.
“Trump’s political behaviour is not likely to inspire confidence. He is unpredictable and has a reputation as a dealmaker. Finns may wonder whether we, too, will become a bargaining chip in Trump’s foreign and security policy,” Iro Särkkä, a research fellow at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, told the news outlet.
Men and younger Finns see the impact of Trump’s election as slightly more positive than the average. Also, Finns Party supporters expressed a clearly more positive view of Trump’s election than the average. Even among this group, however, more took a negative than a positive position of the impact on Finland’s security.
A thousand Finns responded to the USU poll, which was conducted in mid-November. The margin of error is about three percentage points in each direction.
Support for Ukraine
Several papers, including Kuopio’s Savon Sanomat, report that the Nordic countries, the Baltic States and Poland plan to increase their support to Ukraine in the coming months.
A two-day summit in Harpsund, Sweden of the Nordic and Baltic heads of state or government, as well as Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk, issued a joint statement Wednesday pledging increased support for Ukraine’s defence industry and work to ensure that Ukraine has access to more ammunition.
The leaders of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Norway, Poland, and Sweden who are attending the summit further expressed a commitment to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace for Ukraine, and its full European and Euro-Atlantic integration.
Finland’s Prime Minister Petteri Orpo briefed his colleagues at the Harpsund meeting about the debate on anti-personnel landmines in Finland.
In comments to the Finnish media, Orpo said he stressed that Finland has not yet taken any decisions on the matter.
Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal told a news conference that similar discussions have also taken place in Estonia.
“We are looking at different options and new technologies,” he said.
Data cable investigation
Ilta-Sanomat picked up on a report in the Wall Street Journal saying that the crew of the Chinese ship Yi Peng 3 is suspected of deliberately dragging its anchor for more than 160 kilometres in the Baltic Sea earlier this month, causing breaks in two submarine telecommunications cables.
One of those was the C-Lion1 cable, which runs between Finland and Germany.
Finnish news agency STT reports that Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said on Wednesday that its technical investigation of the cable has been completed and samples that were recovered are being analysed at the NBI’s forensic laboratory.
Finnish, Swedish and Lithuanian law enforcement authorities have set up a joint investigation team to investigate the damage to the submarine cables, according to the NBI.
Dietary guidelines pushback
Maaseudun Televaisuus reports on reaction from the Federation of the Food Industry (ETL) lobbying to the latest national nutritional guidelines, published by the Finnish Food Authority on Wednesday.
The guidelines advise people to eat less meat, more vegetables and to cut down on the consumption of coffee and alcohol.
ETL criticised the Finnish Food Authority for not assessing the impact of its recommendations on the operating conditions of domestic primary production and the food industry.
“Finland is the world’s northernmost agricultural country, but the recommendations have not assessed the ability of the Finnish food chain to produce food in line with the recommendations or called for the choice of sustainably produced domestic food,” ETL stated in a release.
It went on to say that in addition to nutritional recommendations, economic and social sustainability must be taken into account. Nutrition recommendations should also ensure security of supply and food security, according to the Federation of the Food Industry.
It stated that diet is an important, but not the only, part of a healthy lifestyle.
“Individual foods do not contribute to or undermine health, it is the whole diet that matters. When communicating nutritional recommendations, the focus should be on pleasure and enjoyment, so that they are not seen as mere restrictions,” the ETL argued.
“Let’s not eat only to satisfy our hunger, but learn to eat for pleasure,” said ETL Director Marleena Tanhuanpää.
Sales and good sense
It’s hard not to notice that Finnish retailers have embraced the American custom of “Black Friday” sales, in many cases extending them to an entire week of discount offers.
Helsingin Sanomat interviewed a young woman who described herself as as a “sales shark” and showed off some of the many unused or barely used items she’s picked up on sale, mainly because the thought of a good deal was so tempting.
HS spoke to a range of experts about retail sales and came up with six points it says are worth considering before purchasing discounted items:
– Is the price really cheaper?
In fact, HS points out, some shops boosted prices in the run-up to sales to provide artificial discounts during Black Friday.
– Are the giveaways really free?
A decision to buy is often made more attractive by “take three, pay for two” offers and giveaways.
– How much will the purchase cost in the future?
Sometimes a product is sold at a very low price, but to use it you have to keep buying something that costs a lot more.
– Is my purchase decision driven by a rush?
Discount campaigns typically create pressure to buy by highlighting the fact that time is short and the availability of goods is limited.
– Am I the victim of an advertising campaign?
Ad campaigns also have a social impact. People want to be part of a shared experience. It’s good to be aware of that.
– Do I need the product?
The last question requires the most introspection, notes HS, and is perhaps the most difficult.
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Publish date : 2024-11-28 06:52:00
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