Over the past two years Finland has
been shaken by a deep-rooted political scandal involving businessmen
channeling large sums of money to political campaigns during national
and local elections. No wonder trust in politicians is at an all time
low. Just one in ten say they trust politicians, compared to two in ten
in neighbouring Sweden. The Finnish do trust authority figures like
police, fire fighters, teachers, pharmacists and first and foremost
pilots. Their attitude does not differ much from that found in other
European countries, according to Reader’s Digest’s European Trusted
Brands.
“People wouldn’t fly if they didn’t trust the pilot. They have to
trust the pilot. It is easier not to trust politicians, it does not put
you at any immediate risk of loosing your life,” says Olli Lagerspetz,
professor of philosophy at Åbo Akademi Universtiy.
Near the bottom of the list along with politicians you find
journalists and trade union leaders.
That comparison is interesting in that it confirms the picture of a
division between Finnish decision makers and popular opinion which
other research has already pointed out. Mr Lagerspetz is a leading
researcher on trust in Finland. He feels a fundamental change in social
conditions is taking place.
“Living in a society involves a degree of total trust in certain
things. You don’t have to wonder whether you can trust people,” he
says.
Trust is built into us: you wait at the bus stop because you’re
convinced there will be a bus, or you place a call because you know
someone’s going to answer. The Nordic societies are to a large extent
build on a continuation of this system of obvious trust. But it no
longer seems to include all citizens. Immigrants aren’t included, young
people have a hard time achieving the same level of trust as others and
the same goes for people who move to a new city.
“It strikes me that we no longer try to integrate people the way we
used to.”
Customers of power
Our view of society has changed on an ideological level. We no
longer consider ourselves citizens who ‘love’ to pay tax – we now see
ourselves as customers of the authorities who in turn have changed into
service providers.
“We pay for their services through tax. If I don’t need one
particular type of service, then why am I paying for it?”
Mr Lagerspetz admits that he is pessimistic about this development.
Even legislation meant to protect workers in the workplace is being
undermined – black labour has become common in the building
industry.
“We have been taking the welfare state for granted, yet historically
it has existed for a very short period.”
Yet the welfare state still has strong support judging from opinion
polls. But according to Mr Lagerspetz words don’t seem to be turned
into action by the decision makers.
The world’s best
Finland and the other Nordic countries time and again end up top of
all kinds of international comparisons of welfare. The American
magazine Newsweek recently named Finland the world’s best country. Olli
Lagerspetz takes it with a pinch of salt – along with many other Finns,
if you believe the comments in the media.
More important are the Pisa tables (The Programme for International
Student Assessment), which show Finnish 15 year olds to be the best
educated in the world.
“We need to protect our education system. The Pisa tables show our
system is uniform, you don’t have to live in a particular area to get a
good education. This is part of the integrated nation state which was
built in the 1800s. “
The education system along with conscription form institutions which
create an image of togetherness; Finns are part of the same system and
share the same ideas.
