Politician attacked, grim Christmas, hospital drama and library love!

Hello Insiders!

I always find myself hoping / wishing that news slows down at this time of year, and that there’s a spontaneous outbreak of peace and tranquility but that rarely happens and this week is no different!

Let’s mix up the order this week and start with some of the latest news in politics then circle back around to some of the other stories making the headlines which you may have seen (and some you might not have noticed).

As I’ve written before, I have been pivoting away from using X (for all the obvious reasons!) and setting up camp at Bluesky. You can follow me here, or follow Finland Insider on the new platform. Plenty of Finnish politicians are also making the move to Bluesky and now that it’s supported, I’ve started embedded / linking to their Bluesky content and accounts where possible in the newsletter.

Coming up this week: a grim Christmas in Lapland (as far as some media outlets are reporting!); a critical look from Yle at the difference in how Finland treats Russia and Israel; how hospital drama is already becoming Finland’s next big political crisis; which public services do Finns 💙 the most, and what’s on the list for Christmas shopping as Finns spent hundreds and hundreds of euros on seasonal gifts.

All that still ahead, but first:

Inside politics 

Attacked. Social Democrat MP (and former minister) Krista Kiuru was punched in the face on Friday afternoon in Helsinki’s Kaisaniemi Park. The MP was on her way from Parliament to pick her child up from daycare when the attack happened. She went to the accident and emergency department, and reported the incident to both Helsinki Police and security authorities in Parliament. At the time of publishing on Saturday lunchtime, the attacker had not been caught.

As you would expect there’s been an outpouring of support from her political colleagues. In a statement, Demarit party leader Antti Lindtman framed it as “a direct attack on democracy”, saying “we are deeply shocked by the violence against Krista Kiuru. The attack is beyond comprehension.” Meanwhile SDP’s Parliamentary Group Leader Tytti Tuppurainen said the violence against Kiuru was “completely shocking and disgusting” and urged the police to hold the perpetrator accountable. “The entire Finnish society must now rise together to condemn political violence.”

This is just a small sample of the messages, there were plenty of others made in public from across the political spectrum and Krista Kiuru (who, fun fact, did her study abroad with a family in Scotland) took to Facebook to thank everyone for their support.

Criticism. The Speaker of Parliament, Jussi Halla-aho (Finns), drew criticism from some politicians (mainly on the left, but not exclusively) for not unequivocally condemning the attack, when he said that it was too soon to describe it as ‘political violence’ but that generally Kaisaniemi Park had seen a rise in incidents like this in recent times. And Kokoomus MP Tere Sammallahti has also drawn fire for the pretty harsh things he’s had to say about Krista Kiuru in the days leading up to her attack. He denies being responsible for causing the attack, but other politicians have highlighted the language Sammallahti has used against Kiura recently for her work on the Social Affairs and Health Committee in Parliament, such as: saboteur, redneck, vagrant and workplace bully (free translations there, some Finnish insults simply lose their heft when translated to English!)

Hospitals and healthcare. The brewing drama over at parliament’s Social Affairs and Health Committee, which is chaired by Krista Kiuru (SDP), is the next political mini-crisis that’s already happening. Next week there’s a debate and vote in parliament on the government’s plans to axe 24-hour emergency healthcare services in Kemi, Savonlinna, Oulainen and Salo, while not restoring services in Valkeakoski. In addition, the plan calls for an end to 24-hour primary health care services in Iisalmi, Varkaus, Jämsä and Raahe. So far five MPs from government parties have said they will vote against this measure and more could join by the time the vote takes place next Tuesday. The cuts will save an estimated €27 million per year.

Hospitals and health care, take two. What’s that you say? Yet more controversy on the Social Affairs and Health Committee in Parliament? I’m shocked! On Friday the committee voted 10-7 not to move forward with a Citizen’s Initiative to look at establishing safe drugs consumption rooms in Finland. Two MPs who had previously been in favour of the idea were replaced / switched out by two other MPs who are against the idea. Green MP Bella Forsberg from Jyväskylä said in a statement after the vote that "It is shocking the National Coalition Party and the Swedish People’s Party have likely banned representatives who support the drugs use-space experiment from participating in decision-making and are undermining the otherwise positive position that would have come from the committee with such a game.”

Christmas money. Did you know Parliament has a pot of Christmas money to give away? This year the Finance Committee had €50 million at their disposal. So where did the cash go? Around €3 million went to the cultural sector generally, but on closer inspection most of that amount was earmarked, oddly, for military museums. Meanwhile cash went to an organisation led by the father of MP Onni Rostila (Finns); and to an organisation led by the husband of MP Päivi Räsänen (CD). What a coincidence!

RIP. Former Christian Democrat MP Antero Laukkanen has died after a battle against Motor Neuron Disease ALS. Laukkanen served as an MP from 2015 to 2023.

Inside the headlines

✈️ Tourism. There’s some mixed messages on tourism in Finland in the press this week. First, British Airways is launching direct flights from Gatwick to Ivalo primarily aimed at tourists wanting to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights. And also this week Norwegian Airlines announced a new service from Gatwick to Rovaniemi. This is, generally, framed as good news for the tourism industry and the local economy in the north.

🤚 Anti-tourism. But wait a minute. This influx of tourists to Lapland doesn’t sit well with some people. The Associated Press reports that a group of local residents in Rovaniemi is calling for restrictions on the number of tourists - a movement seen already in some other European countries.

😱 Horror headline. And it gets worse! The UK’s Telegraph has a horrible headline about tourism in the north: “Broken bones and starving reindeer: The bleak future of Christmas in Lapland” which paints a particularly grim picture of our environmental future…

🚔 Thefts. And Helsingin Sanomat quotes police in Lapland describing a spate of thefts targeting foreign tourists in Rovaniemi recently - with pickpockets targeting tourists in the city centre, and at the Arctic Circle in Santa Claus Village. Police say phones and wallets are the main loot, and that the thieves are foreigners.

🔎 Google. What have Finns been googling this year? The search engine giant has released its annual list (and presumably checked it twice) and Finns have been asking important questions like “Why does a dog lick a person?” and “What does a robin eat?” and “Why does everyone hate Hämeenlinna?” (among other things!)

🎁 Christmas. A new survey from Nordea Bank reveals that Finns will spend an average of €560 on Christmas this year, of which €346 will go towards buying gifts. MTV News has been out and about at some of the biggest shopping centres in the capital and no surprise, but some people say it’s the thought that counts while others want to spend a small fortune on that perfect seasonal present.

📚 Books. A new poll finds that libraries are Finns’ favourite public services, receiving top marks as the most commonly used municipal service, as well as for customer satisfaction, availability of services and accessibility.

Finland international

🇸🇾 Syria. When the Assad regime fell in Damascus last weekend, Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen was one of the first to offer her comments.

🇬🇪 Georgia. Valtonen has also been urging authorities in Tblisi to “uphold human rights, democracy, and the rule of law in line with our shared OSCE principles and commitments as enshrined in the Helsinki Final Act and the Charter of Paris.”

🇫🇮 OSCE. A reminder that Finland takes over the rotating presidency of the OSCE on 1 January 2025.

🇷🇺 Russia. Finland's ministry of defence said on Thursday it had blocked seven real estate transactions involving two Russian buyers on grounds that allowing the acquisitions to take place could threaten national security.

🇮🇱🇷🇺 Israel/Russia. A well-presented article in Yle takes a closer look this week about the “double standard” in Finland and other Western countries when it comes to dealing with two countries whose leaders are accused of war crimes.

And finally…

If you’re heading north from Helsinki to Lapland I reckon the best time to do it is at night on the sleeper, it’s a brilliant experience. Most people get off the train at Rovaniemi, the gateway to Finnish Lapland, right on the Arctic Circle. But I would recommend staying on until the end of the line at Kemijärvi. I’ve spent a couple of Christmases up there and the village itself is always so beautiful under a blanket of snow, the old church is next level charming, and there’s tons to do from a Northern Lights safari to hearty meals in the local restaurants. Honestly, they’re not paying me for this but I think Kemijärvi is an underrated destination in winter or summer! Explore the village’s social media for more:

Thank you, kiitos, tack!

That’s all for this week, thanks if you made it this far and as usual if you have any story suggestions, tips, or scoops then feel free to get in touch directly via email [email protected]. As we head into 2025 there might be a few changes on the horizon to keep Finland Insider nice and fresh for you, the audience, so watch out for those too.

See you next Saturday!

David