Baltic Rim Economies 3/2023

The Baltic Rim Economies 3/2023 is a special issue on the relations between the two Nordic countries, Finland and Sweden.

Two countries, one mission

”My home and the cultural heritage I manage is located in one of Östergötland’s beautiful archipelagos, where the sea meets the mainland. Across the waters of the Baltic Sea, it is not very far to Åland and Finland. Once one country, today two countries and sovereign states, but with a common history and close ties. We are two countries with a common mission; to protect our home on earth, our common values, our culture and our languages, one of which we share.”

Aron Emilsson
Member of the Swedish Parliament (SD), Foreign Policy Spokesperson for the Sweden Democrats, Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs
Riksdagen, Parliament of Sweden

Finland – Sweden relations on a new level

”First the pandemic and then the Russian full-scale attack on Ukraine has had a big impact on the relations between Finland and Sweden. The pandemic taught the Nordic states that they need to cooperate when a crisis hits, because crises can be dealt with only together. Besides, many national measures have effects that stretch over the border. The pandemic also made it difficult for Finnish companies to establish themselves on distant markets. Thus, the neighbouring region became more attractive also from a business point of view. The pandemic and its lessons learnt thus had a significant effect on the relations between the Nordic countries, especially on the relations between Finland and Sweden.”

Maimo Henriksson
Ambassador of Finland
Embassy of Finland in Stockholm

A strong Swedish-Finnish defence cooperation

”The Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine marks a pivotal moment in European security dynamics. As a direct consequence of the Russian invasion, Finland previously this year joined NATO with Sweden expected to soon follow suit. All in all, the strategic importance of the northern region has increased considerably over the past year and a half, clearly underlining the significance of the bilateral defence cooperation between our two countries.”

Micael Bydén
General, Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces
Sweden

We need a new survey on the relationship between Finland and Sweden

”People tend to refer to Nordic cooperation with praise – and, undoubtedly, there are good reasons for it. Since the 1950s, the Nordic countries have engaged in mutual interaction, with the results to show for these efforts. The most concrete example is passport-free travel, which guarantees that Nordic residents do not need a passport when travelling from one country to another. The Nordic countries have also conducted pioneering cooperation in many fields, such as social services and education.”

Kari Häkämies
Region Mayor
Regional Council of Southwest Finland
Finland

Baltic Rim Economies 3/2023

Aron Emilsson: Two countries, one mission

Maimo Henriksson: Finland – Sweden relations on a new level

Karl Magnus Johansson & Tapio Raunio: Government communication in Finland and Sweden

Katja Valaskivi: Global crises have shown the weaknesses of nation branding practices for Finland and Sweden

Madeleine Sjöstedt: Sweden’s national brand from a Finnish perspective

Micael Bydén: A strong Swedish-Finnish defence cooperation

Pär Stenbäck: Entering a new phase

Peter Stenlund: Closer than ever – there are more steps to take

Magnus Christiansson: Sweden in NATO

Gunvor Kronman: NATO: ”Finland and Sweden can take on a leading role in civil preparedness”

Carl Marklund: Close neighbours, divergent partners? Finnish-Swedish cooperation rekindled in the light of crisis

Hannele Taavila: Deepening police cooperation between Finland and Sweden

Table of Contents

Aron Emilsson: Two countries, one mission

Maimo Henriksson: Finland – Sweden relations on a new level

Karl Magnus Johansson & Tapio Raunio: Government communication in Finland and Sweden

Katja Valaskivi: Global crises have shown the weaknesses of nation branding practices for Finland and Sweden

Madeleine Sjöstedt: Sweden’s national brand from a Finnish perspective

Micael Bydén: A strong Swedish-Finnish defence cooperation

Pär Stenbäck: Entering a new phase

Peter Stenlund: Closer than ever – there are more steps to take

Magnus Christiansson: Sweden in NATO

Gunvor Kronman: NATO: ”Finland and Sweden can take on a leading role in civil preparedness”

Carl Marklund: Close neighbours, divergent partners? Finnish-Swedish cooperation rekindled in the light of crisis

Hannele Taavila: Deepening police cooperation between Finland and Sweden

Iina Sahramäki: Environmental crime prevention needs to be agile

Kimmo Kohvakka: Collaboration within the civil protection between the Nordic Countries

Paula Mikkola: Border information service Sweden-Finland-Norway

Kari Häkämies: We need a new survey on the relationship between Finland and Sweden

Erik Söderholm: Centuries-long connection to Stockholm still going strong

Marcus Prest: Green is better

Harry Jansson: The Åland Autonomy and demilitarization in a changing security enviroment

Annastina Sarlin: Paradoxical potentials in the Nordic archipelago

Hans Lindberg & Tomas Häyry: Limitless possibilities in a sustainable growing region

Riitta Björkenheim & Anna Måtts-Fransén: A green shipping corridor between Vaasa and Umeå

Jukka Kujala & Roger Danell: Haparanda and Tornio – cross border cooperation

Daniel Smirat: All politics is local – the next era of Finnish-Swedish cross-border collaboration in the Bothnian Arc region

Tuula Ajanki: On region three countries: Cooperation in the Torne Valley

Laura Ervo: The Code of Judicial Procedure from the year 1734 – An example of Finnish-Swedish co-operation

Anders Ahnlid: Geopolitics and Swedish-Finnish trade interests

Carin Hallerström: NFU – 100 years of Nordic cooperation

Mats Eriksson: Strength in alliance

Sarah Kilpeläinen: Developing Nordic energy cooperation

Vilma Rissanen: Gaining a foothold in the Swedish e-commerce market

Michael Lindholm: The digital business development future

Elna Nykänen Andersson: Beyond Moomin and Marimekko: Updating Finland’s image in Sweden

Erik Sandberg: Contemporary logistics challenges in used clothing supply chains

Lena Rekdal: Negotiations between Finns and Swedes: Directness versus Deliberation

Merja Kauhanen: Varying role of local wage bargaining in public sector in Finland and Sweden

Kjell Skoglund: Swedish language in business – What is the point?

Charlotta af Hällström-Reijonen: The changing view of Finlandisms in Finland Swedish

Martin Sundin: The new Language Centre – promoting the Finnish language in Sweden

Björn Teir: One country – two languages

Vappu Renko: Comparing Finnish and Swedish regional cultural policies

Susanna Pettersson: Art Scene infrastructures, values, and public discussion

Markus Westerlund: Similar but different: How cultural differences affect business

Veronica Hertzberg: How to integrate in Swedish in Finland?

Tuire Liimatainen: Redefining Finnishness in Sweden

Jaan Siitonen: Language skills – the superpower that increases our security?

Karin Perhans & Johan Kuylenstierna: Developing knowledge with true added value

Chris Heister: Finnish-Swedish research cooperation: Lessons from the Tandem Forest Values Initiative

Janne Holmén: University autonomy in Finland and Sweden

Ov Cristian Norocel: Gender in Nordic right-wing populism

Stefan Björkman: Konstsamfundet – contributing to a better Finland

Table of Contents

Aron Emilsson: Two countries, one mission

Maimo Henriksson: Finland – Sweden relations on a new level

Karl Magnus Johansson & Tapio Raunio: Government communication in Finland and Sweden

Katja Valaskivi: Global crises have shown the weaknesses of nation branding practices for Finland and Sweden

Madeleine Sjöstedt: Sweden’s national brand from a Finnish perspective

Micael Bydén: A strong Swedish-Finnish defence cooperation

Pär Stenbäck: Entering a new phase

Peter Stenlund: Closer than ever – there are more steps to take

Magnus Christiansson: Sweden in NATO

Gunvor Kronman: NATO: ”Finland and Sweden can take on a leading role in civil preparedness”

Carl Marklund: Close neighbours, divergent partners? Finnish-Swedish cooperation rekindled in the light of crisis

Hannele Taavila: Deepening police cooperation between Finland and Sweden

Iina Sahramäki: Environmental crime prevention needs to be agile

Kimmo Kohvakka: Collaboration within the civil protection between the Nordic Countries