It has been a winter of discontent in Finland. Lately, the big Finnish forest companies that have tradiotinally been the backbone of the Finnish economy, have announced factory closures and reduction of production in Finland. The forest sector is still the second largest brach of industry after the electrotechnical sector.

Unlike the British Winter of Discontent of 1979-1979, the Finnish workforce affected has been largely silent. The unions have not seriously considered going to strike but are trying to divert the attention to the politicians who being responsible - as the claim goes - of the state investment policy should have acted strongly. Moreover, the state’s share in Stora Enso - a huge paper company - is big enough for the state to demand the protection of factories and to guarantee that no profitable factories should be closed regardless of the comparative advantage.

Funny thing this is. With a few clicks of the mouse one can find a joint report (esp. pp. 47- 49, pp. 93-98) of the Finnish Forest Industries Federation and the Finnish Paper Workers’ Union from 2006 that clearly stipulates the challenges of the industry. The lag between even moderate insightfullness and an angry public reaction has been about two years. Human nature seems to mainly be optimistic about negative things maybe happening in the future such as the closure of Kemijärvi paper factory was two years ago.

The fallout now poisons some politicians who are - in my point of view - just scapegoats in this particular case. Explaining open markets and globalization to someone who has just lost his or her renumerative job in a far away province with very few jobs available requires more than a slick tongue. Pack your packs and move to southern Finland?

2008 will start with something that should have happened years ago: I have enrolled to a French course. Let’s see whether it is useful or not.