Holding the EU Presidency for the final six months of the twentieth century did a lot to raise Finland's international profile. The favourable development that the economy has enjoyed is likewise attracting notice abroad. At the same time as things are going well for the republic, however, its citizens' interest in politics is waning. The European Parliament is still perceived as something very distant, and not only in Finland. After all, it is not a parliament in which a government is formed with the support of the majority.
Politicians ought to be able to articulate alternatives better.
The ambience is a lot homelier than in his office in the stately Neoclassical structure that houses the Government. When the sound of the children's footsteps is carried downstairs through the wooden floor, Daddy smiles and his gaze wanders to the ceiling a couple of times. Perhaps hard politics should be practised more often in places where soft values and a proper life can certainly never be forgotten.