Interest in Finland has grown in the western neighbor. According to a recent survey, eight out of ten Swedes have a positive attitude towards Finland, and young people in particular would like to learn more about our country.
Finland is perceived as more equal in Sweden, but Finnish culture is not exactly visible in the western neighbor. Eight out of ten Swedes have a positive attitude towards Finland, and young people in particular would like to learn more about the eastern neighboring country.
The information comes from a survey conducted in January by think tank Magma, the Finnish-Swedish Cultural Fund, the Finnish Stockholm Institute, the Finnish Embassy in Stockholm and the Swedish-Finnish cultural center Hanasaari.
The subjects of interest were particularly history, social debate and security policy. Almost 80 percent of respondents felt that Finland and Sweden had become closer to each other after Russia attacked Ukraine.
– It is obvious that the NATO discussion has increased interest in Finland. In light of that, it seems logical that specifically men – and young men – have grown interested in the country, the head of think tank Magma Nils Erik Forsgaard says in the announcement.
Finland is seen as more equal than before
The research company Novus interviewed more than a thousand Swedes aged 18–79 in the first half of January for the study.
In the survey, the respondents say that they value above all Finland’s defense capability, crisis management and the functioning of society.
Finland is also seen as a more equal country than before. Half of the respondents consider gender equality to be realized in Finland. In Novus’ 2017 measurement, the same figure was only 26 percent.
– The rise can be largely explained by the fact that the prime minister Sanna Marin has been prominently featured in the Swedish media and that the leaders of all Finnish government parties are also women, the director of the Stockholm Institute of Finland Anders Eriksson evaluate.
Finnish culture, on the other hand, is of little interest to people in Sweden. Climate policy is also not given a very favorable assessment by its western neighbors: only a fifth of the respondents consider Finland to be a pioneer in that field.
According to Magman Forsgård, there was also something strange in the survey results. Half of the respondents said that they had not heard or seen anything related to Finland in the media in the past six months.
– I wonder how that’s possible… You can also ask where people get their information from, Forsgård reflects.