Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen's New Year's Message

Strong winds of change have again shaken Finland in the year just ending. This stems partly from European and global economic difficulties, partly from changes in Finnish society and the Finnish economy. The effects are felt in homes, communities and the economy as a whole.

Demand for Finnish work throughout the world is dependent on ourselves and our expertise, but also on the course of the global economy. Demand for our work and products is currently less than we would like.

Amid the upheaval, however, Finnish creativity has shown its strength. New beginnings of success, for example growth in the games industry, small companies generating significant new employment, and major foreign investments in data centres are arising to replace jobs that are lost.

Having seen for myself during the year countless new Finnish ideas and innovations, I strongly believe that Finland has much to offer the world.

The world around us is changing, whether we like it or not. Nevertheless, the choices we make will depend on our attitude to change. We do have options.

I myself work daily towards ensuring that we can keep our welfare promise also for future generations. We will not manage this if we hang on to out-dated structures or drift involuntarily on the currents of the global economy. We must therefore have the courage to reform Finnish society on our own terms, purposefully and thoroughly. Just as we have done many times before during our independence.

In addition to economic challenges and an ageing population structure, a major intellectual change is under way in our country. As education and skills levels rise, it is natural that Finns are increasingly embracing individual solutions and freedom of choice. We no longer consider it right that someone above us makes key life choices on our behalf. Instead of patronage, we want to be the decision-makers of our own lives when we have the capacity to be so.

The issue is not just about what reforms we make in Finland, but more about how we make them. We know from our experiences in work that when people have an opportunity to influence changes they also commit to them and better results are achieved. Finland has traditionally been built as dictated by the authorities, hierarchically from top to bottom. Dictates from above no longer work, however; people’s ability to make their own choices and decisions must be recognised in decision-making. People’s capacity and ability to make choices will vary, of course, according to age and health for example, and society must support those who need help.

National- and local-level citizens’ initiatives linked to legislation are, in this respect, taking democracy in the right direction, but they are only the beginning. In the future, an individual’s opportunity to influence must be taken directly from the level of statute to the level of services development. Why would we not utilise to our nation’s advantage the resource that Finns are internationally proven to have in decision-making skills. As a promised land of organisations and associations, we also have the capacity to take advantage of much wider shoulders than we traditionally have done. This does not mean a deterioration of services, rather the strengthening of them.
Confidence in political decision-making is also involved. Confidence building is a two-way street. Decision-makers must trust people more and not try to regulate and decide everything on people’s behalf. Civil society should be given more space. Leadership should increasingly consist of setting guidelines, creating opportunities and encouraging people and communities to build their own futures and bear their responsibilities.

No single common dream of a nation exists; there are as many dreams as there are people. Decision-makers, too, must adapt to this and find paths by which people’s individual wishes, needs and actions can be also be channelled for the good of all of Finland.

We must create a climate in which people themselves are the engine of reforms. A climate in which people dare to participate, try and experiment, in which they can fail without fear of condemnation – and to constantly learn new things.

In Finland’s history, generation after generation has accepted the idea that Finland can be made better through the wise actions of its people. A belief in progress has meant a more secure everyday life, a wider freedom of choice and more equal opportunities – a better life and a better Finland. Successive generations have acquired more education and training, embraced new technology and the opportunities it offers, and have worked and improved themselves with great commitment. They did all this to make life better for themselves and their families and to leave their country in better shape for future generations.

High expertise, hard work and entrepreneurial spirit as well as an open mind are the cornerstones of development. Progress does not come automatically. Finns should be able to trust in the fact that education and work always pay off. These have been the keys to Finland’s success so far, and we must be able to build on these in future. Hard-working, skilled people and entrepreneurs are the engines of innovation and development. And if we want more innovation in Finland, then Finland must be a country in which entrepreneurship is welcomed.

Finland has all that it takes to succeed in a changing world, as long as we utilise our strengths. Finland must revitalise with respect to structures and operating practices. Finland must be an agile player, both domestically and internationally. We must have confidence in ourselves and in each other. Our future success is ultimately in our own hands.

I wish everyone in Finland a truly Happy New Year 2014!

Jyrki Katainen
Prime Minister