The wrapper is going wild in Malmö as if competing for the Eurovisa win this year as well. Cha-cha-cha is part of the Swedes’ new relationship with Finland, writes correspondent Pirjo Auvinen.
Pirjo Auvinen, Nordic correspondent
18:07•Updated 18:17
STOCKHOLM Outback. That’s how Finland was for the Swedes until the very last few years.
Swedes’ relationship with Finland and with Finns is changing, but to what kind, it is now being discussed in the editorial and culture pages of Sweden’s largest daily newspaper, Dagens Nyheter.
Dagens Nyheter bought decision-making power last year From Hufvudstadsbladet published in Helsinki.
After the sale, stories from Hufvudstadsbladet have started to appear in Dagens Nyheter. This week it was the turn of HBL’s cultural editor Andrea Svanbäck’s column.
Its red thread was the setting of a Finland unhappily in love, which lacks the genuine anti-love of the Swedes, even though Käärijä, former Prime Minister Sanna Marin and Rivakka’s NATO application have slightly changed the image of Finland marked by booze, knives and gloom.
According to the article, Svanbäck’s unrelenting shock dates back to 2014, when the contestants of the popular På Spåret quiz did not know the name of the Finnish president. It was then Sauli Niinistö.
Svanbäck’s responded to the article in today’s, i.e. Friday’s, newspaper, the editor-in-chief Susanne Nyström.
In his opinion, the relationship between the two countries should not be compared to a love relationship, but to a neighborly relationship.
Sensing new winds from Nyström has been characteristic of Sweden, but many new experiments have come to a dead end.
According to Nyström, Finland is not slower in its changes than its neighbors, but rather more thoughtful. He lists school, national defense and security of supply as examples.
According to Nyström, the relationship between Finland and Sweden is right when the attitude is the same as a good neighbor, i.e. respectful.
And about those Finnish names. They are difficult for Swedes. However, my experience is that ignorance is not limited only to Finns. If I were to do a street gallup here in Stockholm, few would remember the Prime Minister of Norway (Jonas Gahr Støre) or the Danish Prime Minister (Mette Frederiksen) name. But I don’t think it indicates a lack of interest or bad relationships.
Instead, this new interest in Finland can be seen, for example, in the Swedes’ favorite Wrapper, which is driving the crowd in Malmö even though there is no competition this year. And Sanna Marin, whom Swedes remember even though he is no longer the prime minister. Marin’s affiliations were also asked in Gotlan, although the actual interview was related to the military force.