"The
problem is in motivating them to do something constructive," he says. In his brief congratulatory message, President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso expressed his confidence that Niinistö's well-known EU-friendly approach will continue in his new post. "Good coders, for instance, can always find work here, and don't have to get involved in crime to make a living."
CITI, one of the world's largest financial institutions, believes there is a 50 per cent chance that Greece will leave the eurozone. President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz also congratulated Niinistö, who in his estimation is "a genuine European." Schulz also expressed his satisfaction that both candidates in the final round of the Finnish presidential race were strongly committed to European cooperation. Greek politicians are caught in a dilemma. Public lenders are demanding more painful reforms before they release aid, while Greek unions went on strike Tuesday to protest against reforms. See page 12.
Internet activists becoming bolder
JUSSI L ANKINEN S T T HT
YOUNG ONLINE activists are becoming more brazen in their attacks on government and other official websites, according to research director Mikko Hyppönen of Finnish internet security firm F-Secure. With the problem seeming almost insurmountable, Greece's exit from the common European currency is being openly discussed. "I can't quite understand why we need a few more days," she told Bloomberg. But that's simply not true," he says "The Greeks have to realise that we Dutch and we Germans can only sell emergency Greek aid to our taxpayers if there's evidence of good will." It may be harder to sell more Greek aid to Finnish citizens as well. into cheese When we think of fondue, we often think of some gift of Christmas past gathering dust in the back of the cupboard. One dedicated Englishman has moved to Lapland in search of these Northern Lights. No date for the new presidential couple's transfer to the official residence at Mäntyniemi has yet been finalised. This is the first time in 30 years that the country will not have a Social Democratic president, and only
the third time that the country has had a National Coalition Party president. Read more on page 5.
Mother Nature's magical light-show The Aurora Borealis is a stunning natural phenomenon without equal. Schulz sees this as a sign that Finland is a wholehearted member of the European Union. A further problem is the planned default for private lenders, which has still not been finalised. German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed frustration of yet more delay. Niinistö won the second round by a large margin, receiving more than 1.8 million votes, 62.6 of all
L E H T I K U VA / M A R K K U U L A N D E R
Bank sees 50% chance for Greek exit from euro
DAV I D J . As analysts become pessimistic, negotiations for the next Greek bailout have repeatedly missed deadlines. But in this chilly, dark season nothing can be as hearty and warming as a bowl of melted cheese. Boats and equipment, watersports, services. Niinistö's challenger, Green Party candidate Pekka Haavisto received around 1.1 million votes, or 37.4 per cent. European Commission Vice President Neelie Kroes told a Dutch newspaper that an exit would be manageable. This is not a first for Finland, although it is a long times since it has happened. This is higher than his two predecessors, Martti Ahtisaari (1994) and Tarja Halonen (2000, 2006). Hyppönen tells of the latest exploit by the hacker collec-
tive Anonymous, in which a group eavesdropped and recorded secret discussions between police in the United States and the United Kingdom. C O R D HEL SINKI TIMES
Sauli Niinistö received a record number of votes in Sunday's presidential election.
the valid votes cast. See page 19.
EU leaders congratulate president-elect Niinistö
ST T / HT
EU LEADERS congratulated Sauli Nii-
DOMESTIC
Counting the cost of the cold weather The cold snap around Europe has now tragically claimed victims numbering in the hundreds. His mission is to share the wondrous experience with enthusiasts willing to join him in his quest. A wider than ever range try one out for several days! Step aboard and make your dreams come true.
www.venemessut.fi
Tickets: ¤15/10/35 Train The most convenient way to visit fairs. To make matters worse, the group says the Finnish economy still has not recovered from the recession.
HI, CAPTAIN!
Northern Europe's largest boating fair The Helsinki International Boat Show
Helsinki Exhibition & Convention Centre 1019 Feb 2012
Get an advance view of summer's highpoints. In Hyppönen's view, the situation among Finnish hackers, or "hacktivists" as they're sometimes called, does not compare in terms of lawlessness to several East European countries, for example. On Tuesday the OECD released a report for Finland pointing to slowing growth. Here in Finland we take the subzero temperatures for granted each year. Activists often forget that their online adventures can have serious real-world consequences, Hyppönen says, but adds that they have a level of technical skill that could be put to much better use. But what are the costs of keeping Finland moving during the winter months. From March, there will now by three living ex-Presidents: Mauno Koivisto, Ahtisaari, and Halonen. ISSUE 6 (2 37 ) · 9 15 FEBRUARY 2012 · 3 · W W W.HEL SINKITIMES.FI
EAT & DRINK
Take a dip... See page 4.
TRAVEL
nistö earlier this week on becoming the new President. "It's always said that if you let one country get out, or ask it to get out, then the whole structure collapses. Chair of the conservative European parliamentary group the European People's Party Joseph Daul was thrilled at Niinistö's "massive win." In a press conference on Monday, Niinistö disclosed very little details of his upcoming term in office
www.hiskihaukkala.net
`Counter-jytky' proves surprisingly divisive
Pekka Haavisto's meteoric rise to and during the second round is perhaps the most significant aspect of the elections, writes Hiski Haukkala.
FINLAND has now elected a new president, Sauli Niinistö, aged 63, who hails from the National Coalition Party. But the current situation means that the newly elected president has his work cut out for him already: the first task will be to restore national unity and rise above these divisions to become a president for the whole country. Finland has elected an experienced politician with a keen eye for public finances and the economy. To better understand the elections and his victory, we need to first go back to the recent parliamentary elections in April 2011. True, the two contenders acted like the true gentlemen they are from start to finish. The discounted price for the 8 subscriptions with the English exercise packages is only 336 euros for the school year. These are probably all qualities that the era and Finland badly need: that is why he was elected president in the first place and they should enable him and the country to fare well.
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Gather a minimum of 8 Helsinki Times subscriptions with this special offer and you will get 8 ready-touse English exercises during 2012 sent to you by email free of charge. This should not and it seems will not deter Niinistö from spearheading the campaign to reverse the trend, as he has already indicated that he will form a task force to think about these issues in the nearest future.
BUT AS HAS been mentioned,
THAT SAID,
WITH this background in mind, the stakes were obviously high for the `old parties'
the second round proved also to be surprisingly divisive. It seems clear that the persona and the message of conciliation promoted by Haavisto struck a chord with many Finns. 2
9 15 FEBRUARY 2012
VIEWPOINT
HELSINKI TIMES
Viewpoints are commentaries written by experts and authorities about specific topics. By contrast, it was perhaps the more conservative baby boomers who to a degree sealed the deal for Niinistö's presidency.
IT WOULD
eign policy. It is noticeable that the issue that people seem to find most important in his agenda is the question of alleviating the marginalisation of children and young adults in Finnish society. Although the situa-
also deeds that Finns expect from their new leader. What is more, he also managed to resuscitate his party's political life with a single piece of electoral success. You can submit your articles to viewpoint@helsinkitimes.fi. In the process, Haavisto managed to take his political career to an entirely different level, making him one of the potential leading candidates to succeed Niinistö in the future. There was a lot of talk about whether a `counter-jytky' (`jytky' being the term Soini gave to their electoral victory in public) was perhaps now in the offing. The social media aspect was crucial in the campaigns of both candidates but it also revealed the uglier side of humans and politics: traditional and tired left-right animosity (now in a new green-blue guise), homophobia and ad hominem attacks on both candidates and their supporters.
tion is not entirely clear-cut, there is evidence that the majority of the younger generations voted for Haavisto. It seems that the aftermath of the elections reveals a country somewhat divided. The dramatic success of the Finns Party (with 19.1 per cent of the vote) was seen and perhaps rightly so as a devastating defeat to the liberal and internationally oriented segments of Finnish society. In the campaign, Soini seemed lackluster and managed to get only 9.4 per cent of the votes. Also, during the second round, Haavisto proved to be a strong campaigner capable of rousing emotions in Finns in ways that have usually been reserved only for rock stars and foreign royals.
the battle between the contenders for the most amounts of `likes' on Facebook, which started out as a friendly competition, turned into a nasty battle where the people started badmouthing the candidates and each other. Niinistö of course went on to win the race with a comfortable margin with 62.6 per cent of the votes but Haavisto's share of 37.4 per cent was a very strong showing indeed.
HAAVISTO'S
FOR EXAMPLE,
of the parliamentary elections were a blow to the body politic of Finland. The buzz in the country ahead of the elections was that the liberal internationalists needed to curb Soini's dynamic forward march in the election booths. one thing we can clearly take home from the two rounds of balloting for a new president is that a `counter-jytky' was duly achieved. But this time the division seems to run in three directions: we have the triumphant winners who supported Niinistö, the sore losers who rooted for Haavisto and we have the disillusioned Finns `True' and others who did not see their candidate fare well in the first round and for that reason decided not to vote at all in the second. This is definitely an important issue but one that falls outside the president's official remit, which is basically centered on for-
be able to rise to the occasion and make his presidency and Finland a success. But elsewhere emotions were running higher.
THE IRONY is that two candidates who both wanted to unify the country managed at least in the short term to achieve exactly the opposite. Many also voiced concerns about the international image of Finland (a perennial concern for all Finns regardless of age, gender or creed) as the populist and anti-immigration Finns Party seemed to take center stage.
(a nifty populist slogan coined by Timo Soini, the leader of the Finns Party, to characterise all the other parties) in the presidential elections less than a year later. The true new `jytky' of the presidential elections was the surprising success of Pekka Haavisto a Green candidate who managed to gather 18.8 per cent of the votes in the first round and took the second slot with the first place going to the long-time poll faINDEED,
meteoric rise to and during the second round is perhaps the most significant aspect of the elections, as Niinistö was always expected to win fairly easily. IN ADDITION,
be wrong to say that Niinistö will preside over a bitterly divided Finland. This is not necessarily a daunting task as the Finns usually revere and respect their presidents, but in any case it is one that needs to be handled with tact and care. Helsinki Times reserves the right to accept or reject submissions, as well as to edit or shorten the text. THE RESULTS
vourite Sauli Niinistö with a tally of 37 per cent. Articles should be at least 5,000 characters-with-spaces long (maximum length 10,000). We have a person with strong moral convictions who is not afraid to speak his mind. The opinions expressed in this section are the writers' own and do not represent the official policy of the Helsinki Times.
Hiski Haukkala is a Professor of International Relations at the University of Tampere. In particular, the Greens (with only 7.3 per cent of the vote) were seen as being in near-terminal decline. The first signs seem rather encouraging, as Niinistö seems to have made all the right noises concerning the issue.
the real power of the president lies in foreign policy. In addition, you will also get a Gummerus Finnish-English-Finnish pocket dictionary! Contact us now and we will send you the first English learning package free of charge by email! Contact us for more information at opetus@helsinkitimes.fi or tel. 09 689 67422 Read more about the Helsinki Times ready-to-use English lessons at www.helsinkitimes.fi/htep. Here Niinistö faces a daunting task of establishing good personal relations with all the important partners, weathering the storm of EU financial and economic crisis that is also bound to have foreign and security policyrelated implications, while charting a course for Finland in the turbulent waters of rapid global change.
WILL NIINISTÖ
BUT IT IS NOT only words but
we have something of a generational gap as well. Obviously, only time will tell, but for me at least it seems that his chances are fairly good
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Helsinki is expected to have daily temperatures around -10 C or higher, while
Helsinki Times asks...
We asked some readers about their personal survival guide to the serious subzero chill. Which programming language the student knows from before does not matter, as long as basic programming terminology is familiar. If the amount of immigrants currently working in Finland are not taken
into account, Myrskylä says, the prognosis for 2020 would be a far larger shortfall, about 240,000. Winter road maintenance, which does not include regular road up-keep or new road developments, costs a staggering 100 million euros a year in Finland. HT the end of the month had a worried tone to it. "When it's -25, keeping sane is all about a positive frame of mind. Arable land here is nearly always combined with forested land which covers approximately 70 per cent of the country yet Finland still manages to contain half of the world's arable land north of 60° latitude. The unemployment rate in December 2011 was 7.4 per cent. In Helsinki last winter, 5,000 truckloads of snow were dumped every 24 hours two-thirds were deposited in snow-dumps, the remainder ended up in the sea. "Until it gets to -20 C I don't use a pipo (wooly hat). Application before 6.3.2012. The forecast for the next few days is considerably milder throughout southern Finland. Classes are held Thursdays from 17 to 21 pm during 15.314.6.2012 and 6.9-13.12.2012.The price is 250 . Severe winters, short and frost-interrupted growing seasons, and relatively scarce and acidic arable land has made agriculture a constant challenge resulting in some outstanding agri-science innovations. 4
9 15 FEBRUARY 2012
DOMESTIC NEWS
HELSINKI TIMES
L E H T I K U VA / J U S S I N U K A R I
COLUMN Väyrynen vies for party leadership
In a press conference on Tuesday Centre Party veteran and 2012 presidential candidate Paavo Väyrynen announced his will contend the party's leadership at the party's annual convention in June, to be held in Rovaniemi. During the course the student will learn object oriented programming and how to use this programming paradigm to implement Flash games. Greece saw unprecedented low temperatures of -16 C, in Bosnia and Serbia helicopters had to supply cut-off villages and last weekend Lelystad in the Netherlands saw the thermometer hit -27.8 C. The estimate corresponds to the number of people who are expected to retire from the labour market within the next eight years. A less visible impact is that on agriculture. Oh, and when it is this cold, I avoid sticking my tongue to flagpoles."
the north is expected to see slightly milder than normal seasonal temperatures also. Source: The Ministry for Employment and the Economy's January 2012 report on regional labour market changes.
The target group for this course is people who already know the basics of programming. Should the finnish defence forces continue to be based on a universal male conscription?
Yes 44 % No 57 %
View details and this week's question at www.helsinkitimes.fi.
two weeks have seen temperatures plummet around Europe, with the freezing weather tragically causing over 250 deaths, Ukraine being hardest hit with 131 deaths. Examples of games that will be produced are Snakes, Tick Tack Toe, memory games and puzzle games. According to the Ministry's director of development Pekka Myrskylä, to make up the shortfall the employment rate needs to be increased
from the present 68 per cent to 75 per cent. Last week it was -21 C and admittedly I used my pipo, but still I lost the feeling in my cheeks as I walked ten minutes to school." American Leasa Weimer suggests a sensible choice of wool tights and two pairs of smartwool socks. Saying that, when it gets near -30, don't go outside unless you absolutely have to." Kafil Uddin Ahmad from Bangladesh appears to be made of tougher stuff. In practice, however, Myrskylä considers it unlikely that the target can be attained without doubling the amount of immigrants that are currently working here. "The unemployed, immigrants, and others of working age who are currently out of work need to be put to work in greater numbers, and steps need to be taken to keep people in work for longer," he says. The biggest problems are in the Satakunta region and eastern and northern municipalities," Myrskylä explains. Don the gore-tex, wool and balaclava and get on with it. The rail service must also be kept ice-free and Finland's 5,919 km of railways need constant maintenance during the winter to remove snow and ice, and during the summer to repair frost-damaged tracks. During the winter of 2009-10 the amount of snow transported from streets and properties to snow dump sites was 210,000 truckloads over 3 million cubic meters.
L E H T I K U VA / V E S A M O I L A N E N
ACTIONSCRIPT GAME PROGRAMMING
15.313.12.2012
FURT EDUC HER ATION
Due to the warming influence of the Gulf Stream and the prevailing wind patterns, Finland's climate is comparatively mild for the high latitude sparing us some of the ravages of winter that are experienced in Russia.
This just the clearing of snow maintaining the roads' actual surface quality is another matter. HT
Big chill catches Europe by surprise
A harsh winter brings high economic and human costs.
DAV E DU N N E HEL SINKI TIMES
THE PAST
IS: Halonen downbeat in final speech to Parliament
Ilta-Sanomat reports that President Tarja Halonen's last speech to Parliament before she steps down at
QUESTION OF THE WEEK
Finnish defence forces are based on a universal male conscription, under which all men above 18 years of age serve for 6, 9 or 12 months. During the project part the student is encouraged to produce a game of their own design with the help of the teacher. `I'm available for consideration as party chair, provided I get the required level of support from the party for my candidacy.' Väyrynen has led the Centre Party before, from 1980 to 1990. Immigrant labour plays a large role in plans for meeting Finland's looming labour shortage. The subject is Flash ActionScript 3.0 (AS3), the latest version of the object oriented ActionScript language. Englishman Rollo de Walden sounds practical. "Five layers up-top (no joke) one of which must be wool. The cause of this coldsnap has been a relatively high-pressure area over Russia and most of Europe. According to the Customs report, the last time the trade deficit was this large was in the 1970s, when the global oil crisis was one of the main causes of difficulty. At the start of the speech Halonen discussed the 2012 presidential elections, and expressed worries about the low voter turnout, which in the second round was below 70 per cent, the lowest figure yet in the history of the present presidential electoral system. Currently one-third of the 3.4 million people of working age in Finland are unemployed. Additional information: www.arcada.fi/flash Phone: 0207 699 501, stig.blomqvist@arcada.fi
Severe labour shortages predicted
HEIKKI K ARKKOL AINEN ST T HT
THE MINISTRY
Arcada | Jan-Magnus Janssonin aukio 1 | Helsinki | www.arcada.fi
for Employment and the Economy has warned that the country will face a shortfall of about 150,000 employees by 2020. In Finland too, the relatively mild winter thus far came to an abrupt end with temperatures of -42 C recorded near Kuusamo. This picture was taken on Helsinki's Lahdenväylä motorway on 3 February.
Trade balance hits lowest level since 1970s
According to figures published by the Finnish Customs today, the country's balance of trade sank to a historical low last year, creating a deficit of almost 3.6 billion euros. By the end of the decade, according to estimates cited by Myrskylä, there will be around 2,350,000 job vacancies in the country. There are currently just over 2,190,000 people employed nationwide. The financial cost of snow clearing so far this winter, for Helsinki alone, has been 30 million euros. Though anybody who has spent more than two winters in Finland knows that harsh winters are par for the course, we sometimes forget the massive cost of the northern winter. The planned seven-per cent increase in the employment rate by 2020 is ambitious, and in principle could be possible without significant immigration increases. Imports rose to over 60 billion euros in 2011, but exports stagnated below the 57 billion-euro mark. It is ok with me, but I use my hoodie when it gets windy. ed sectors only one-third of the retirees are being replaced with new staff. Alternative non-military service and volunteer service by women are possible. Cloudless clear skies in summer means hot weather, but in winter a lack of cloudcover lets daytime heat escape, resulting in sub-zero temperatures. `The level of voter participation needs to be improved markedly, and the various reasons for the low should be studied in detail,' she said. `Campaigning might well make me feel young and refreshed again, as was the cases in the presidential election,' added the 65-year-old unsuccessful candidate in no less than three presidential elections. Waterproof mascara, otherwise when your eyelashes freeze you will have raccoon eyes. The Italian capital of Rome was hit with the heaviest snowfall in 25 years prompting Pope Benedict XVI to tell the brave faithful who gathered in St Peter's Square, "The snow is beautiful, but let's hope spring comes soon." England's Heathrow airport, one of the busiest in Europe, saw
over 50 per cent of flights cancelled. HT
Last week's snow blizzard caused havoc for Finland's traffic. "Around 80,000 people take retirement every year, and in the worst-affect-
There were also a large amount in the Vaasa district. As if giving a foretaste of what's to come, the tabloids have already started to criticise her dress sense.
Pekka Haavisto will continue as a Green Party MP.. His first wife, Marja-Leena Alanko, was killed in a car accident in 1995. Niinistö has two children from his first marriage. More than 34,000 ballots were declared invalid between the two rounds, around 10,000 more than in previous presidential campaigns. Many raised an eyebrow at the age gap: Niinistö is 63 while Haukio is 34. · In some remote municipalities such as Hyrynsalmi and Rautavaara, voter turnout was below 50 per cent.
A sharp break from Tarja Halonen's style and agenda
President-elect Sauli Niinistö has not yet given any detailed indication of how his term in office will begin.
STT, HT
Being gay wasn't the reason I lost, Haavisto says
PIRIT TA R AUTAVUORI ST T HT
THE MORNING
L E H T I K U VA / M A R K K U U L A N D E R
GREEN PARTY presidential candidate Pekka Haavisto has rejected speculation that his homosexuality was the main reason he didn't do better in the election. In the past he has described his worldview as "bourgeois" although the direct Finnish translation, porvari, does not have the same strongly negative, and archaic, connotation as the term used in English. This was 0.9 per cent of all votes cast. · Voter turnout in the second round was just 68.9 per cent, an all-time low. He returned as an MP following the 2007 general election, but instead of again becoming a minister as widely anticipated he became Speaker of the House. "Most surprising of all was to see Väyrynen's four [his number in the first round], his name, or even both on so many ballots. Ollila (NCP) predicts that under President Niinistö, guarded statements and a continuation of his well-established political priorities will be the order of the day. He was Minister for Justice from 1995-1996, and Minister for Finance from 1996-2003, after which he took up the post of vice director of the European Investment Bank. Niinistö is married to the NCP's head of communications Jenni Haukio. This was Niinistö's second bid for the presidency, having also been the NCP candidate in 2006. HELSINKI TIMES
DOMESTIC NEWS
were for Paavo Väyrynen (Centre), who narrowly lost out to Pekka Haavisto (Greens) in the first round. No details have yet been disclosed of who will comprise Niinistö's cabinet his team of advisors nor of his official foreign itinerary. He lost to incumbent Tarja Halonen in the second round. The smallest proportion, 0.7 per cent was in the southern region Uusimaa. At a rough guess I'd say about half the spoiled votes were for Väyrynen," says the director of the Lapland electoral district Päiviö Karttunen. According to electoral director Arto Jääskeläinen of the Ministry of Justice, the normal proportion of spoiled votes in Finland in 0.5 per cent, regardless of what sort of election is in question. Chair of the Council for Mass Media in Finland, Risto Uimonen, told national broadcaster Yle shortly after the election result was announced late on Sunday evening that Haavisto's defeat came down to three things: his past as a conscientious objector to military service, his homosexuality, and his not being a member of the Lutheran Church.
after the big win saw the twelfth President of the Republic clearing snow at home in Espoo, which many have derided as a soft version of the PR stunts for which Russia's Vladimir Putin has become known. Pekka Haavisto, who lost to Niinistö in the second round by a large margin, has announced that he will continue as a Green Party MP. Niinistö's term in office, which begins in March, has not taken clear shape. Voters deserve more credit than that, he suggests. Niinistö's term in office begins in March.
The numbers game · Sauli Niinistö received more votes in the second round of the election than any other candidate in Finnish political history, with over 1.8 million voting for him on Sunday. Päiviö Karttunen says he has never seen anything like this before. The largest proportion of spoiled votes in the second round was in the Lapland voting district, where 1.3 per cent of votes were rejected. He took to the national political stage in 1987 on becoming a National Coalition MP. Later in the day, Sauli Niinistö and his wife Jenni Haukio visited the President's official residence in Mäntyniemi. Niinistö does not believe that those regions where voter turnout was lowest are becoming disillusioned with representative democracy. The Finnish President's first foreign trips have traditionally been made to the neighbouring capitals Stockholm, Tallinn, and Moscow. Several political analysts have made the unsurprising prediction that Niinistö, a former two-term Minister of Finance and former vice director of the European Investment Bank, will take a stronger and more prominent stance on economic matters than his predecessor, Tarja Halonen.
Niinistö's long-time friend, former Member of Parliament Heikki A. She is also known for her poetry, having published three collections so far. Following her husband's latest success, it looks like she'll have to get used to the constant attention. He didn't want to comment any further on his plans yet.
Sauli Niinistö
Sauli Niinistö has a Bachelor's degree in law, and before becoming a Member of Parliament in 1987 has held various positions, including as rural police chief in his native Salo and as a court jurist. Other names that were put on ballots in Lapland were Timo Soini, Urho Kekkonen, and Hitler. "He takes care of things, even when everyone around him is not in agreement. Many of the rejected votes
L E H T I K U VA / J A R N O M E L A
President Tarja Halonen met with President-elect Sauli Niinistö on 6 February. There were also a lot of empty ballots returned. She has a marked preference for avoiding the limelight, and during the long-running presidential campaign tended to be taciturn. "We must all keep it seriously in mind that Finland cannot become divided by this, each of us in this country is important and we must remain inclusive," he said. He's known for his support for Finnish entry into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato), and for his self-described "stubborn" tendency towards deviating from the NCP party line on a range of issues over the years.
Who: Jenni Haukio From: Pori Famous for: Being the wife of incoming president Sauli Niinistö
Jenni Haukio is the head of communications for the National Coalition Party and wife of president-elect and NCP luminary Sauli Niinistö. "It's amazing that people would travel long distances in such harsh weather to cast an empty vote or put down a name, knowing full well that it'll be rejected." The temperature in Lapland on voting day was around 30 degrees below freezing.
9 15 FEBRUARY 2012
L E H T I K U VA / S A R I GU S TA F S S O N
5
Record number of spoiled votes
PIRIT TA R AUTAVUORI ST T HT
A RECORD
number of spoiled votes were cast in this year's presidential election, according to the national statistics agency Statistics Finland. One reason for this was the exceptionally cold weather on voting day, with the Finnish Meteorological Institute reporting temperatures of -41 and -40 Celsius in Kittilä and Salla respectively. Over the past several weeks of campaigning, some of Niinistö's views which have come to light include his desire to do away with the President's power to pardon prisoners and his opposition to same-sex marriage, although he is in favour of improving same-sex couples' legal standing in other respects. No doubt there were some voters who either thought they couldn't vote for me for that reason, and maybe some stayed home," Haavisto commented at a press conference on Monday morning.
L E H T I K U VA / M I K KO S T I G
He sees a comparison between the discussion currently underway and the claims made by some 12 years ago that Tarja Halonen won the presidency just because she was a woman. The low voter turnout of 68.9 per cent in the second round of the election worries
the victor. Work on assembling the cab-
inet has already begun, however, since by law it must be in place when the President takes office on 1 March. Haukio, who holds a Master's degree in political science from the University of Turku, has been an active NCP supporter since her teens. Turnout on election day was lowest in Lapland, North Karelia, and North Savo. After a hush-hush affair lasting two years, the couple married in 2009. He doesn't give out privileges based on friendships or ideological affiliation," Ollila says, adding that during his time as Speaker of Parliament also Niinistö became known for his refusal to be ingratiating. · Turnout on election day was lowest in Lapland, North Karelia, and North Savo, and highest in Uusimaa. "Certain things matter more to some people than to others, but that wasn't the decisive factor
The low voter turnout in the second round the lowest since 1950 was also commented on. Helsinki Times reserves the right to accept or reject submissions, and to edit and shorten all submissions chosen for publication. he actually lost when advance votes are included). Both articles were extremely positive about the merits of Finnish education and both lauded the Finnish education system for scoring high in the PISA results. She died quickly despite the first aid that was administered. All in all, more than 100 children and
L E H T I K U VA / H E I K K I S A U K KO M A A
People protesting the outbreak of narcolepsy caused by the swine-flu vaccinations administered in 2010.
youths have fallen ill with narcolepsy because of the vaccination. The decision to buy the vaccine from the medical company GlaxoSmithKline was made by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health in April 2009. It's exceptional because of the time, place and method used. The media trusted the ministry and the officials at THL. And there was the cooperation between the manufacturer of the vaccine and THL that compromised THL's impartiality." working life, he sees things very much like employers do. What kind of president will Niinistö be, then. For instance, Tampere-based Aamulehti asserted that Niinistö, when he was Speaker of the Parliament, refused to "sing the songs of the NCP" during eurozone debates and gained citizens' trust as a result. Those making the decision to inoculate the population trusted the World Health Organisation (WHO). In August, the decision was taken to stop inoculating people, but it was too late. HS also highlighted the hold the party now has over Finland's EU and foreign policy when we add to the list Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade Alexander Stubb, who is also tipped to replace Olli Rehn as Finland's European Commissioner in 2014. Pseudonyms will be accepted only in exceptional cases. All the patients had first started experiencing symptoms after being inoculated against swine flu. Writers should include their name, address and possible daytime telephone number. Nearly five months have passed. A university lecturer
The nightmare of narcolepsy
"TWO YEARS ago in July, a lit-
tle boy was taken to Helsingin Uniklinikka, a sleep clinic in the capital. Yuqing was killed in the middle of a beautiful autumn's day, only 130 metres from her place of work, and there were several houses in the vicinity.
READER'S LETTERS
Helsinki Times wants your views on current issues and comments on news articles as well as anything of interest from a multicultural perspective.
Comments should be no longer than 2,000 characters with spaces. At what price do we keep stressing a student's test scores as if they are a humanoid with a computer chip. When she went back to work, taking the same forest path, she was attacked. Barely anything, at least in the short term. He's humble, one could even say ascetic. It also demanded that it be freed of any responsibility: if any side effects were discovered, the orderer of the vaccine, not the company, would be culpable. Unfortunately something very tangible was left out of both articles: the lack of a feel-good factor in Finnish schools among the 11, 13 and 15-year-olds. What will change in Finland. For instance, Iltalehti, Oulu's Kaleva and Jyväskylä's Keskisuomalainen all devoted a whole editorial to the man, with the latter going as far as to pronounce that "Election Day belonged to Haavisto" because the Green candidate won the most votes in Jyväskylä on Sunday (i.e. The medical company gave Finland 24 hours to make the decision. Right-wing. At the end of October, the Chinese community in Tampere promised a 6,000-euro reward for tip-offs leading to the case being solved. Finland will remain a country and people open to Europe and the world. Immigrants need to take note of these facts if they wish their child to be well developed not just intellectually and but also emotionally and mentally too. In fact, according to PISA, Finnish youth have one of the lowest scores of any EU country when it comes to liking school a lot. In other words, although Finnish schools score high in various subject-related results, they score low in the emotional side of the student. 6
9 15 FEBRUARY 2012
FROM THE FINNISH PRESS
T R A NSL AT IONS B Y A INO B A IN
HELSINKI TIMES
HELSINGIN SANOMAT KUUKAUSILIITE 4 February. Ilta-Sanomat added that many people who voted for Niinistö didn't see him as a party man even though he led the NCP from 1994 to 2001. In reality, it's the opposite, with the common practice of not letting people see the recordings being illegal. By June 2010, seven children had been diagnosed with narcolepsy in
Finland. This didn't have a significant affect on the amount of tipoffs from the public. Bourgeois, definitely. Comments can be sent by e-mail to: info@helsinkitimes.fi
In 2011, there were eight homicides in Tampere. In questions relating to
PRESS RE VIE W
TURUN SANOMAT 5 February
It's all over bar the presiding
in newspapers like Helsingin Sanomat (HS) and Turun Sanomat (TS) noted, this is the first time both the President and Prime Minister have been representatives of the National Coalition (NCP). He was soon diagnosed with acute narcolepsy. Many users of CCTV agree to only show recordings to the
police. During election campaigning, Niinistö protested against the view that he's a value conservative. And as a side note, 15-year-olds rarely have dinner with their families. What is unfortunate in all this is the child who seems to be going it alone in Finnish society, with poor wellbeing scores in family relationships too. There was the pandemic that maybe shouldn't have been declared a pandemic by the WHO. Niinistö possesses a strong Protestant ethic. Niinistö and Mauno Kovisto (Finland's president 1982-94) share a lot of similarities. Niinistö isn't everybody's ideal president, but an election where, according to Iltalehti, Haavisto's homosexuality positively (as well as negatively, unfortunately) affected his level of support is a credit to both Finland and to Niinistö for not trying to cynically exploit it.
Jealous guarding of CCTV footage illegal
"VIDEO
Allan Bain allan@helsinkitimes.fi
FINLAND
has a new president. Parents, for their part, trusted the media and experts in the media. In any case, Niinistö is more of a conservative than a radical reformer. I think that this is also worthy of attention. Helsinki Times will not give the information to third parties. Niinistö's election was truly historic: as editorials
camera surveillance is on the increase, but users of this technology don't observe all sections of the law concerning the use of surveillance. Some even believe that the law proscribes showing pictures taken by CCTV cameras to a private person. `An exceptional crime,' says Detective Inspector Pasi Nieminen of Pirkanmaa district police department, who's heading the investigation. THL trusted GlaxoSmithKline as well as the European Medical Agency, which had licensed the product. With the help of a shortcut, the journey's distance was 700 metres. PETRI PÖNTINEN
HELSINGIN SANOMAT 6 February
An exceptional killing
"A CHINESE woman, Yuqing, 42, worked at Nokia's Science Centre Hermia. `I believe that the case will be solved in time,' Nieminen says."
Finns give Niinistö strong mandate
"SUNDAY
evening saw what many had been able to predict and what the most devoted had been waiting six years for: The National Coalition's Sauli Väinämö Niinistö, 63, was chosen as the Republic of Finland's 12th president with the biggestever vote haul. When deciding whether to buy or not, the ministry consulted experts from the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), which recommended the vaccine be bought from GlaxoSmithKline. Should the education authorities begin to see the child as a human being and not as a test-taking machine. Often they involve some demand being made of a person, but when he or she demands the recording in order to point out that there are no grounds for such a demand, the company or community don't want to make the recording available,' says Aarnio."
L E H T I K U VA / J A R N O M E L A. Yes, in that he thinks each of us has to take responsibility of our own life. Yuqing's murder is the only one that hasn't been solved. TS surmised that a large section of citizens who voted for one of the other six candidates in the first round had decided to stay home, while Aamulehti decided to patronise its readers with a four-paragraph crash course in democratic participation: wasting one's vote "doesn't in any way benefit the person protesting," we're told, although the question of how you benefit from voting for a candidate you don't think is worthy of your vote was conveniently ignored. VEERA LUOMA-AHO
All not rosy in Finnish schools
I read with interest two articles in recent editions of Helsinki Times (`Not built in a day' on 19 January; `Triumphant returns' on 2 February) about the Finnish educational system. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health trusted THL. There was the media that made simple headlines out of complicated questions. Two days after Yuqing had been killed, the case of the Tampere teen Karoliina Kesti's disappearance was solved. The chain of events also included several bad judgements. Niinistö's exact relationship to the NCP was, however, questioned by a number of papers. "
SUOMEN KUVALEHTI 3 February. `These sorts of cases come up from time to time. Many companies and communities that make use of surveillance technology refuse to show recordings to a customer requesting to see them even though the law clearly requires that this be done. Perhaps, however, he would accept the view that he's a broad-minded conservative. A survey Turun Sanomat conducted revealed that many communities break the law, maybe unconsciously. There was the vaccine that was developed quickly under pressure. Both men created an image of himself as someone who doesn't follow the crowd a lonely sheriff who stays outside and above party politics. She was found in a pond, and the cause of death was drowning, nothing criminal. The company is a significant funder of THL's research projects.
There was a high level of trust involved in this chain of events. Strict economic housekeeping, hard work and persistence are the virtues Niinistö values. Although Niinistö grabbed most of the postelection attention, Sunday's runner-up, Pekka Haavisto (Greens), wasn't forgotten. Will Yuqing's case remain an unsolved mystery. However, Data Protection Ombudsman Reijo Aarnio points out that every citizen has the right to see a given recording, even get a copy of it, if he or she appears in it. She went home for her lunch break on 5 September 2011. It's true! For anybody who's moved to Finland since 2000, Finland without Tarja Halonen as head of state will seem like a strange place once Sauli Niinistö moves his belongings into the official residence of Finnish presidents, Mäntyniemi. And these low wellbeing scores are certainly nothing to brag about, which is one reason why they are hardly ever mentioned or discussed within our society
It's not like this. The problem with such a venture is that it locks Bulgaria into a waste management system that is systematically below recycling percentage goals for Europe. They hear that foreign governments unfreeze Libyan
During a news conference in Tripoli last month, Libyan Central Bank Governor Al-Seddiq Omar al-Kabirdenying denied receiving roughly 20 billion USD in assets that were held overseas by Gaddafi's regime and frozen during the conflict that ousted him.
money and they think boxes of money are being sent to the NTC. Security, he said, is still a problem. These included plans for an incinerator in the East, where air pollution levels are already among the highest in Europe, which would "under-
Local reactions Representatives from projects underway in Estonia and Bulgaria attended the launch of the map in order to bring local and personal perspectives of the impacts of two particular projects under the watchdogs' microscope. The real culprit, however, is a lack of transparency and communication by the NTC. Concerning the economy, Baja said that the transitional government the NTC appointed is now preparing a budget that will allot money to different sectors. In addition, the NTC members all pledged to not run as candidates. Political parties can come later on, once the foundations of the new country are written.". "The NTC has lost its credibility with the people," said Abdel Salam El Sherif, 33, a lawyer and political activist. "This is a disaster," El Sherif said. Government workers are not receiving their salaries. The Sofia Waste Management project calls for the "construction of a landfill,
L E H T I K U VA / M AT T I B J Ö R K M A N
Kuressaare, the historical capital of Saaremaa Island in Estonia, would not benefit from a proposed bridge project, say local environmentalists.
small compost facilities and a mechanical-biological plant that will produce refuse-derived fuel for burning in distant cement kilns," according to the report. He stressed that the NTC will cease to exist after elections are held in June. We have to promote the private sector to grow." The most pressing issue for the NTC is laying the groundwork for the June
elections when the country will elect a national congress. " The NTC do not receive salaries, but people say we get 5,000 dinars per month. But after the liberation of Tripoli, you still see the NTC not revealing information about its members. EU funding for this project currently totals 258 million euros. Using parties may marginalise sections of the country. Mardiste argued that instead of building a bridge that would tear through a Natura 2000 site, a more frequent ferry would be a better option. Home to a population of 40,000 people, Saaremaa also plays host to scores of tourists, who are ferried to the island on an hourly basis. "We have money at our disposal, but we have to create a budget first. "These projects are mistakes Europe cannot afford to make," Trilling said. "We are now reorganising the state media to use it to communicate better with the people. "The council earned its legitimacy from the revolution, but it needs to serve the people." "Many people joined the NTC in secret because there were still pro-Gaddafi elements around, and the people accepted the secrecy for security reasons. The map warns, "In an era of scarce public resources, every cent of EU taxpayer's money must contribute to the shift of Europe's regions towards the right track of sustainability."
BRUSSELS BELGIUM
BARI BATES IPS
RELEASED last week, the map
counted 33 ventures backed by the EU's cohesion policy funds either projects already funded, or under consideration for funding totalling 16 billion euros. We don't even know how many there are. The army and police are absent, and filling the vacuum are local militias a phenomenon that the NTC is trying to reverse, he said. The report, Funding Europe's Future, outlines goals
to "shift Europe's regions on to a sustainable development path Structural and Cohesion Funds have a vital role to play in tackling climate change, stopping biodiversity loss and reversing the trend of resource- overconsumption." The report includes a call for the European Commission to be transparent in its budget and include the public in decision-making and the disbursement of funds via projects and programming. But we have to change the nature of the economy. "A national congress needs to include representatives from all parts of society. HELSINKI TIMES
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
9 15 FEBRUARY 2012
7
Mapping out the EU's harmful projects
Dozens of European Union-funded projects across several countries are `environmentally or socially unsound', according to a map created as part of a joint effort between CEE Bankwatch Network and Friends of the Earth Europe.
mine EU targets for a 50 per cent recycling ratio," as well as undercut efforts to reduce municipal waste as a whole. The NTC website lists 66 members with their names, positions, hometowns and biographies. Liquidity is in such a dire situation that banks can only give out 2,000 dinars (about 1,140 euros) per month per account. The Libyan economy has not recovered from the revolution. On the NTC's Facebook page, it says on 24 December that there were 42 members, and on 8 December there were 61 members. Peep Mardiste, a policy expert from the Estonian Green Movement, drew attention to Saaremaa Island, where a seven-kilometer bridge is under consideration for EU funding. mistakes, but said measures have been made to improve them. Every time we ask we are given different answers."
BENGHAZI LIBYA
MIKE ELKIN IPS
TWO WEEKS
ago, a group of protesters attacked Libya's National Transitional Council's Benghazi headquarters as chairman Mustafa Abdeljalil was inside, forcing him to flee through the back door. "Courageous action is needed to overturn the legacy of bad planning and realise the beneficial potential of EU funds."
New Libya off to a shaky start
It's been almost a year since Benghazi launched its uprising against former Libyan president Muammar Gaddafi and three months since he was killed, but there is a growing sense of frustration in eastern Libya with the National Transitional Council.
late about corruption and the infiltration of former regime members. Other projects, including several motorways, would infringe on Natura 2000 sites areas across Europe that have been deemed by the EU to be `valuable' by virtue of their wildlife and protected species' habitats. But El Sherif's point is valid. Some EU ventures are listed as being categorically vague in terms of effectiveness, such as the construction of a 32-kilometre stretch of motorway between Demir Kapija and Smokvica, which would cut through an unspoiled forested area and be placed beside the protected Demir Kapija gorge. Gaddafi spent 17 billion dollars per year on government salaries, and this cannot continue. The gorge is one of the "richest ornithological reserves in Europe, and the project would damage many bird habitats and ecological corridors," according to the report. He said that the project represented governments' lost sense of "reality." Genady Kondarev, a clean energy campaigner from Bulgaria, shared a story of waste management in his home country. So we are asking, `Who are these people and why hide their names?' This is basic transparency. The current plan envisions 200 seats, of which 120 will be reserved for individual candidates and 80 for political parties. Criteria for being present on the map included projects that specifically breached environmental legislation, damaged Natura 2000 sites, and displaced local people. He called the bridge a "luxury project" that was neither economically, nor environmentally sound. "There are a lot of rumours flying about regarding money and the NTC," he said. Markus Trilling, EU funds campaign coordinator for CEE Bankwatch Network and Friends of the Earth Europe, said that the projects included on this map are just a portion of those that may be harmful in an environmental or social way. Not only are the Libyan people watching us, but so is the international community. This assembly will in turn elect a committee to draft a new constitution. "The attack on the NTC building showed us just how bad things had become," Baja said. The map highlighted projects in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Macedonia, Poland and Slovakia, which have been found to be particularly damaging to local biodiversity, to the future possibility of sustainable efforts and to human communities. Kondarev called it a "hungry monster" that would need to be fed for years in order to pay out on the initial investment to build the facility, meaning that Bulgaria would lose the opportunity to invest in more sustainable methods of waste management in the meantime. You cannot run a state with this system. Maybe if we had done this a month ago we wouldn't have these problems."
L E H T I K U VA / A F P P H O T O / M A H M U D T U R K I A
Environmental legislation This year's map is the fourth of its kind to be released by the watchdog team, following a similar undertaking in 2009. Not only is it incomplete, but this was uploaded only on 29 January. The economic pressure has created an atmosphere of mistrust for the once-loved National Transitional Council (NTC), and rumours circu-
Political committee According to Fathi Baja, a founding member of the NTC who heads the political committee that draws up national and international policies for the council, there are 72 members. Twelve of the 33 projects studied were found in the Czech Republic, the highest number of harmful projects in any country. "We are not opposed to the NTC's existence," El Sherif said, "We just want to know who they are." Baja, a former political science professor at Benghazi University, admitted the council's communication
Filling the vacuum He added, however, that the NTC has accomplished a lot considering that Libya lacked any institutions and had to start building a state from scratch. Many activists want the NTC and any future government completely free of Gaddafi's men, but others feel that such a break is impossible considering that many Libyans worked for the regime because there was no alternative
If it was a Finnish company, it would be the fifteenth largest public firm in the nation by sales, ahead of such luminaries as Cargotec and Finnair. Tradition counts for a lot," Lindblad says.
the heart of the matter: how much is Facebook worth. 800 million are "monthly active users." 483 million are If Facebook were "daily active users."
Majlen Fazer, a member of the Fazer family's fourth generation who's also in charge of quality control at the company's Vantaa factory.
The country's favourite confectionery item shows no signs of being superseded by younger, trendier brands.
R A I S A K A R S I K KO S T T HT
WHAT IS
the secret of Fazer's blue-wrap milk chocolate bar. Turnover has calmed in more recent years: in 2011, sales increased by 88%. One consequence of this is that new flavour combinations of Fazer Sininen are a long time in consideration before they're approved for production. "Continuing to make our products in Finland is important to us and to our success, as is the fact that Fazer has remained a family company. Last year Facebook had $3.7 billion (2.8 billion) in revenue. R&D spending was a respectable 10% of sales in 2011.
ANOTHER
Finnish, it would be UNLIKE the third-largest com- growing many fastcompanies pany in the country by with tons of excess capital, Facebook has net income.
surprise is the $1 billion in profit Facebook recorded in 2011. The recipe is a jealously guarded
Finland's best brand In 2011, Fazer Sininen was once again voted Finland's most valuable brand. The blue-wrapped wonder, however, seems to symbolise something for Finnish consumers that puts it in a league of its own. 8
9 15 FEBRUARY 2012
BUSINESS
HELSINKI TIMES
Fazer Sininen going strong at 90
secret, but Fazer is willing to reveal that two-thirds of the cocoa used comes from Ecuador, and the remainder from western Africa. "The very first thing that comes to people's mind when they hear the word Fazer is Fazer Sininen." The bar's distinctive blue wrapper has also been approved as a registered trademark in Finland, and the brand is closely nurtured and protected. The company's founding father Karl Fazer's son Sven was given the recipe in the early 1920s, by a business acquaintance as thanks for getting effective medical treatment for his son-in-law's serious eye ailment. Some of it is quite astonishing.
REVENUE growth has been spectacular. It first had positive net income in 2009, and since then profit has been more than doubling annually. These are not dead accounts, where people sign up and then forget about it. When it goes public, I would be shocked if this market value was less than $100 billion.
SO WHAT is
its true intrinsic value. While sales have grown 122% annually, expenses have only increased 63% each year. It's her own undisputed favourite too, she adds. He is also a private investor with over ten years of experience.
Facebook surprises
FACEBOOK has finally filed preliminary paperwork for
an initial public offering, and people have been eagerly examining the financial statements. "Sales of Fazer Sininen rose by four per cent last year, although sales of all our other products decreased," says Fazer's managing director Tom Lindblad. In it, Mark Zuckerberg expounds upon the social goals of the company. Eighty per cent of production goes to the domestic market, and the remainder is exported to over 30 countries. Based upon secondary market trading, Facebook is valued at about $80 billion. · The consumer brands company Fiskars came third. High-quality cocoa mass is also essential, and the production process is rigorously controlled. According to Majlen Fazer, a member of the family's fourth generation who also works as a quality controller in the company's Vantaa factory, Fazer Sininen is something Finns take to more or less from the cradle. The company's share of the total confectionery market in Finland is around 38 per cent. Facebook has 845 million users, which roughly means that 42% of everyone who can use the internet has a Facebook account. According to Lindblad, the product is precious to the company's image. The recipe was put to use without delay, and Fazer Sininen came on the market in 1922.
L E H T I K U VA / M A R K K U U L A N D E R
David J. 7.6 tonnes of Sininen are produced at the Vantaa plant every year, making around 15 million chocolate bars. At the end of last year it had the equivalent of almost 3 billion in cash. Cord david@helsinkitimes.fi The writer is a journalist and columnist for Helsinki Times. This would give it a price / earnings ratio of 52. Despite the welter
of other confectioneries on the market, it has been the nation's firm favourite since 1922, and last year was once again the biggest-selling confectionery item in the counL E H T I K U VA / M A R K K U U L A N D E R
been relatively cautious with their expenses. Another surprise is that Facebook is already very large. Now I better go post this on Facebook.
Cosy hotel in the heart of Helsinki
Annankatu, 00120 Helsinki tel. The three most popular Sininen brands the original milk chocolate bar, the box of chocolates, and the hazelnut bar altogether account for a full 13 per cent of the annual turnover of Fazer's confectionery division. The company's other factories are in Lappeenranta and Karkkila. By one internal estimate using various methodologies, the company was valued at $52 billion. Unexpectedly, my analysis gave a similar value as Facebook's investment bankers'. If Facebook were Finnish, it would be the third-largest company in the country by net income, only behind Nokia and Fortum.
Fazer's blue-wrap milk chocolate Fazer Sininen was once again voted Finland's most valuable brand.
High brand value
· Fazer and Fazer Sininen have long been at the forefront of valued Finnish brandnames. At current market prices, Facebook could purchase Elisa or Pohjola with just the money in its bank account.
ANOTHER fascinating portion of the IPO material is Fa-
cebook's mission. +358-9-616 621, info@hotelanna.fi
www.hotelanna.fi. The tax increase on sweets is believed to be the main reason for the drop in overall sales. "Sininen is not excessively sweet, so it's possible to eat fairly large amounts of it," she says. · When the marketing and advertising industry's magazine Markkinointi & Mainonta and the market research agency Taloustutkimus carried out a survey on the country's most valued brands last year, Fazer Sininen came first, and Fazer second. If anything, the brand is getting stronger as the years go by. Now it has all been exposed: what the company is doing and how they are doing it. He says "we don't build services to make money; we make money to build better services." This sound similar to the famous Ferrari mantra, in that they sell cars to fund their racing operations, not the other way around.
NOW FOR
Quality ingredients One explanation for the ongoing success story is simply that only the best ingredients are used, Majlen says: fresh rather than powdered or condensed milk is used in the production of Fazer Sininen, and this comes across in the taste. Somewhat surprisingly, the recipe used for the chocolate is originally from Switzerland. · Judging by the preponderance of domestic brands in the top ten, it's clear that consumers continue to have a very high regard for Finnish companies and goods.
try. One would be hard pressed to find a native who's not familiar with it, she says.
THE MODEST expenses and ballooning profit has made
the social network a cash cow. BY SOME estimates, there are some 2 billion people in the world with internet access. Since 2007, sales have grown 122% per year. Other companies in the top ten were the Made in Finland swan logo and Finnish flag logo, Hackman, Google, Iittala, Abloy, and Arabia. However, I doubt that the market will price it so conservatively, so I suspect it will not be a prudent buy for a value investor
will also be needed to facilitate growth. Christmas and the winter season are no longer enough. Metsähallitus is seeking investors from the UK, in particular, which is where many of the visitors to Ylläs are from. That is why we want to be involved in the planning process from the beginning," says Oikarinen. com promoted itself as the world's most popular Muslim lifestyle website, and has had tens of millions of users in around 190 countries. Sources closely familiar with the sector are convinced that these projects are sound.
Kauppalehti: Muxlim.com shuts down
THE AWARD-WINNING Finland-
Yamarin Cross with aluminum hull
stand 6e49
based Muslim social networking site Muxlim.com has shut down, Kauppalehti reported last weekend. nearly the same as the current capacity of Saariselkä. The new projects are so massive that new approaches will be needed to remove the old bottlenecks in Lapland's tourism. Muxlim. "This is also good business for us, of course, because the
project will significantly increase the value of the land." The project will include several new hotels and holiday villages. No referral is required. Another problem is capital. Metsähallitus, Lapland Hotels and the municipality of Kolari are involved in the project. "At this stage I can't say anything. Another major development project is also being planned at Ylläs which will increase the number of beds in the Iso-Ylläs area by 8,000. Since downturns are followed by economic booms, this is the time to prepare and plan," Oikarinen says.
Work may start as soon as 2013 At the moment only the local master plan and a plan based on an architectural competition have been drawn up for the Äkäslompolo holiday village. The total planned floor area is 330,000 square metres.
"As a landowner we want to provide favourable conditions for sustainable tourism. Also laboratory and X-ray services are available. Better flight and rail connections
at 3,000 euros per square metre. The next step in the project is local detailed planning. "Attracting international investors and other partners from abroad is vital for the success of the project," says Oikarinen. www.eirahospital.fi
Helsinki International Boat Show 10th19th February 2012
Tuupakantie 1, Ring III, Vantaa Boat Sales tel. Besides, more investment will most likely be needed as competition is intensifying. Aimo Oikarinen, director at Metsähallitus, says that they are also looking for partners abroad. in 2004. Despite the popularity of the site, the company's financial fortunes never came into line with its founders' ambitions. HELSINKI TIMES
BUSINESS
9 15 FEBRUARY 2012
9
New holiday village planned for Äkäslompolo to match Saariselkä in size
The developer Metsähallitus, a state-owned enterprise, is also seeking international investors for the project.
R A I S A K A R S I K KO S T T HT
A MAJOR
new holiday resort at Äkäslompolo in the Ylläs area is in the planning. He did say, however, that developing Ylläs is currently the main project for both Lapland Hotels and tourism in Lapland in general. Metsähallitus is also involved in this project. The Levi ski resort and Santa Park are being copied in Norway near Tromsø, and the space centre planned in Sweden's Kiruna is expected to become a major tourist attraction.
Starting with a clean slate The new resort will be built on undeveloped Metsähallitus land. "If we complete the plan within 12 months, construc-
tion could start in autumn 2013," says Havanka. Under the same roof you can find a wide range of surgical services in i.a. Now others are joining in. Marketing abroad must be revived because most of the growth potential is outside of Finland. Tourism is needed all year round. This was dwarfed by its loss in 2010 of 865,000 euros.
WELCOME TO EIRA MEDICAL CENTRE WITH INDIVIDUALIZED SERVICE
XO 270 RS Cabin
stand 7a29 stand 6c51
Buster Lx + Yamaha F60 CETL
Our versatile medical centre in southern Helsinki offers you medical services in several care areas. The architectural plan, which emphasises ecological and nature-oriented solutions, was recently presented in Helsinki by architect Joonas Mikkonen. Appointments (09) 1620 570. More foreign capital is needed because Lapland's tourism sector may not have the resources it needs to carry out the billioneuro projects. orthopedics, eye laser surgery, plastic surgery and gynecology. Everything will be-
come clear in the book that comes out in April," El-Fatatry told Kauppalehti. The site's founder Mohammed El-Fatatry, who moved to Finland in 2004, refused to comment on the closure, but told the paper he would say more in a book to be published this spring. 010 5335 006 www.yamaha-center.fi/Vantaa Opening hours MonFri 1018, Sat 1014
Hyljetie 2, Espoo Boat Sales tel. According to Kauppalehti, the company's most recent financial statement, from 2010, shows that it had an annual turnover of only 46,000 euros. The resort, which would be built over several decades, will consist of on-piste hotels, holiday homes and a ski village. The total planned floor area is 330,000 square metres, and the construction costs will come to almost a billion euros if built The business competence and finances of tourism companies have improved considerably in the past 20 years since the recession of the early 1990s when so many tripped over their over-sized boots. "The ski slope area has doubled in six years, as has the number of ski lifts," Yliniemi says.
A new holiday resort at Äkäslompolo in the municipality of Kolari will include several new hotels and holiday villages. The book will be published by Söderströms, and it is in fact due out in March. You can choose your own general practitioner or specialist doctor and book appointments flexibly, without queues. On the other hand, Russian investment in the Äkäslompolo project is not out of the question.
"There may be less interest in the project during the current economic downturn, but this is a long-term project carried out in stages. We offer also surgical, medical and geriatric ward services, physiotherapy and occupational health.
Do not hesitate to contact us. Although this is the first time Metsähallitus is taking part in such a large project, it does have considerable experience in planning smaller-scale projects in Ylläs and Saariselkä.
Father Christmas no longer enough
JOUNI KEL A S T T HT
Check out our aluminum hull range
at Helsinki International Boat Show
AFTER a few quiet years, the tourism sector has added projects worth billions of euros to Lapland's investment list. The resort will have capacity for 13,000 visitors, i.e. 010 5335 047 www.yamaha-center.fi/Espoo Opening hours MonFri 1018, Sat 1014
EIRA Laivurinkatu 29, 00150 Helsinki. Yliniemi also says that the planning of the project has been unusually thorough and that supporting investments have also been made in Ylläs's slope operations. El-Fatatry and Pietari Päivänen founded the par-
ent company, Muxlim Inc. Pertti Yliniemi, the director of Lapland Hotels' parent company, declined to estimate when construction work could begin. Until now, tourism in Lapland has had the playing field to itself. Heikki Havanka, Kolari's municipal manager, says the planning will start in the areas above the scenic road that runs along the side of Yllästunturi fell, which have been leased to Lapland Hotels
However, the success of the second candidate, Pekka Haavisto (Greens), was not as predictable, because the party has only ten seats in the Parliament. I want to congratulate Mr. It was the first time in Finnish history we had come close to electing a woman as President who also happened to represent the Swedish-speaking minority. Street address: City Hall, Pohjoisesplanadi 11-13.
Fight against discrimination The French conservative Le Figaro's headline ran `Populism does not win in Finland' in reference to the failure of the Finns' Party's "xenophobic ideas". It is noteworthy that the leader of the eurosceptic Finns Party, Timo Soini, got much less of the vote than his party did in the parliamentary elections last year. Then, Elisabeth Rehn, former Minister of Defence and also an honoured member of the Swedish People's Party, surprised Finland by coming second in the presidential elections. HELSINKI TIMES
FINLAND IN THE WORLD PRESS
L E H T I K U VA / M A R K K U U L A N D E R L E H T I K U VA / J U S S I N U K A R I
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Christina Gestrin is a Finnish Member of the Parliament for the Swedish People's Party. A large proportion of American and British media have seemed to focus on Niinistö's pro-European stance, whilst many of Europe's oldest and most respected newspapers tended to focus on the perceived success of the `conservative' National Coalition Party in the latUNSURPRISINGLY
est reincarnation of the unending left/right debate. More information on the grant and the application form: www.hel.fi/heke/maahanmuutto > Avustus järjestöille > Information in English. Enquiries: Immigration division's planning officer Miriam Attias, tel. Nonetheless, I am proud of her strong campaign and that she made her presence felt with important political initiatives.
Sauli Niinistö's victory in Sunday's Presidential election run-off over Green Party candidate Pekka Haavisto has been viewed in different ways in different media across the planet. I also want to congratuMedia and voters late Mr. Instead the eurosceptic Centre Party candidate Paavo Väyrynen was very close to continuing to the second round. Media and voters were more interested in which values the candidates stood for. Box 10, 00099 CITY OF HELSINKI. Nonetheless, the debate between the candidates was of good quality and voters were active during the campaigns. The grant can be applied for by an association with more than a half (50%) of its members of immigrant background. He kept his lead and got 62.6 per cent of the votes in the second round. The Finnish voters elected Sauli Niinistö (NCP) as the nation's 12th president on Sunday. I hope that he as an opinion leader continues to defend the bilingualism of the state as well as underline it in his international tasks.. Sauli Niinistö has for years been highlighted as a favourite. Biaudet got 2.7 per cent of the votes and came in seventh of the eight candidates. International news agency Reuters, based in the UK, but owned by the American Thomson Reuters Group, ran with the headline, "Pro-EU Niinistö Wins Finnish Presidency" and continued with, "Pro-Europe politician Sauli Niinistö won Finland's presidency on Sunday in an election that showed voters want to keep the country in the eurozone despite misgivings over EU bailouts."
"Debt-ridden eurozone" The UK's centre-right, Euro-sceptic and conservative Daily Telegraph says, "Conservative Sauli Niinistö wins Finland's presidential election" and not failing to get in a jab where the chance presents
itself states that Niinistö and Haavisto both "supported continued membership of the debt-ridden eurozone." Business and financial giant the Financial Times ran with "Pro-European elected Finland president" as their headline for the story, stating that "Officials said that the success of Niinistö over these candidates [anti-EU Paavo Väyrynen and Timo Soini] showed that Finland still supported the European project, despite the growth of the populist anti-EU parties in the past." Sweden's liberal Dagens Nyheter quoted Prime Minister of Sweden Fredrik Reinfeldt, about his conservative colleague's victory, "I feel Niinistö, as President of Finland, will see the close and exten-
sive cooperation between Finland and Sweden continued and developed further."
SINCE none of the candidates received a majority of the votes cast in the first round, a decisive second election round was held between the two candidates who received most votes in the first election. But, on the voting day, Haavisto beat off Väyrynen, gaining more votes especially in bigger cities.
IN THE debates among the presidential candidates, the discussions focused a lot on matters which are not part of the president's remit. It continues that "In this election, Finland has also underlined its commitment to its egalitarian model of society and concerned about the fight against discrimination." In Italy the liberal and left-leaning la Repubblica ran with "Finland right turn" and says the "victory completes the right turn: the Conservative Party now has the government and presidency for the first time since 1917... But what did the rest of the world make of the election of this largely ceremonial head of state in the EU's northernmost nation.
DAV E DU N N E HEL SINKI TIMES
the pleasure of taking part in Swedish People's Party candidate Eva Biaudet's campaign during the first round. Niinistö on his great success.
I HAD
World media on Finnish presidential election: Pro-Europe `conservative' Niinistö breaks the mould
So the National Coalition Party's Sauli Niinistö has been chosen as Finland's next president and at the second time of asking. 09 310 37982. This is important in a democracy. FOR ME
www.hel.fi
it's important that the new president has already recognised the value of a bilingual Finland. and puts an end to 30 years of Social Democratic hegemony." Spain's centre-left El País declared, "The conservatives monopolise power in Finland after winning the presidential election." And the National Coalition "achieve[d] an historic result and a shift to the right of Finnish politics." The highest circulation newspaper in Spain also claimed Haavisto "used his homosexuality as a card." Meanwhile The Australian, the country's biggest-selling newspaper, ran with the rather unusual headline of "Romantic rollerskater Sauli Niinistö wins Finnish presidency" a reference to the President elect's roller-blading hobby and his brief relationship with former Miss Finland and Centre Member of Parliament Tanja Karpela.
THE SITUATION was similar in the 1994 presidential elections. IN THIS election I found it surprising that the two female candidates only got about five per cent of all the votes, even though both of them were very competent. ANOTHER interesting aspect was that the Social Dem-
ocrats' candidate, Paavo Lipponen, a former Prime Minister, did not even come close to a satisfying result. One explanation is that the gender aspect was not a major issue. Unfortunately, she did not make it all the way, but it was so close, so close. We still remember how fantastic it felt. Application period and submitting applications: Applications with necessary attach-ments in English, Finnish or Swedish should be submitted by 2.3.2012 at 16:00 to the following address: Registry of the City of Helsinki, Personnel centre, P.O. Haavisto's sexuality barely gets a mention, though Niinistö's rollerblading appears in at least one publication. She was elected from the Uusimaa constituency and has been an MP since 2000.
The President should support bilingual Finland
THE PRESIDENTIAL
Sauli Niinistö and his wife, Jenni Haukio, during an election night rally at Finlandia Hall after the results of the second and final round of voting were announced.
Sauli Niinistö taking part in the Helsinki Roller Marathon.
election has come to its end. The association should be registrated and by definition, should promote active citizenship. Haavisto on his were more interested great campaign.
in which values the candidates stood for.
Advisory Board on Immigration and Integration declares an application process for
The grant for Immigrant Associations' capacity building
The associations can apply for grant in order to purchase trainings, consultations and services for the following purposes: Training the staff, the board members and/or the volunteers - on voluntary work, organizational democracy or developing participation skills - on development of the association's working methods and strategy - on development of communications and working with media
/jm. HELSINKI TIMES
TRAVEL
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Dr. In diplomatic circles, relations with other diplomats are good. I think that Helsinki itself has a very friendly atmosphere. Dr. Last week the International Atomic Energy Agency's inspection team made another trip to Iran to try to determine the purpose of the country's nuclear programme. I've been in Helsinki for two years now and I very much enjoy it. When the Iranian Revolution came to power 33 years ago, when we listened to the teachings of the late Imam Khomeini, we had predicted what would happen in our region. As regards the diplomatic community, I can say that firstly I am appointed to Finland rather than to the diplomatic corps and I have very good relationship with people of Finland. Mousavi presented his credentials to President of Finland Tarja Halonen in January 2010.
The intentions of the Islamic Republic of Iran have always been, and remain, peaceful. How is the work and life amongst the diplomatic community here. We are quite open in this regard we say the future belongs to the willing of the people. In Islam there is no difference between white and black, between European and Iranian or Arab all are equal. We see now that people want to have a better future and play a constructive role in political life and have their own national pride. 14
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Peace is the way
ON THE EVE of the 33rd anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran under the leadership of the late ayatollah Khomeini, the Islamic Republic of Iran is in its decisive period of history. The people wanted a parliament and to share the power, but for many reasons, a full democracy was not attained. In relation to my work, there are also very good channels of communications, with no problems in contacting officials and without any difficult or complicated protocol. Seyed Rasoul Mousavi, explains the views of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Ambassador Mousavi has a BA in Political Science from Shiraz University. He is a career diplomat whose previous posting was as the Director General of the Institute for Political and International Studies, which is affiliated to the Foreign Ministry of the Islamic Republic of Iran. How have you found your time in Finland. He then continued his education at Tehran University and received his MA in Political Science. A peace that is found through understanding, and not through coercion, is the way forward.
Here, the Iranian Ambassador to Finland and Estonia, Dr. Finland's people are both friendly and frank and very kind. Mousavi is also Ambassador to the Republic of Estonia. Iran's ambassador to the IAEA, Ali Asgar Soltaniyeh, said that the inspection will prove the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear work.
Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Finland and Estonia, Dr. At the Islamic Azad University at Tehran he took his PhD in Political Science. In Iran, in 1907, ten years before the independence of Finland, we had a constitutional revolution. Dr. As warships of the United States and its allies increase their presence in the Persian Gulf, the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Dr. When we are going to ceremonies or national days, we say our best wishes and when it comes to our tasks we are very transparent in expressing our ideas. I am very pleased that I am in Finland with this task of being my country's representative here. You see with Taliban, they use religion for their own purpose and this is deeply wrong. The Islamic Republic is a historical phenomenon in my country. Islamic Republic of Iran. The monarchists told us that monarchy is the only idea compatible with Islam. Sometimes it's not possible to reach a result even with Finnish authorities but I definitely can say that the relations are very friendly. Mousavi presented his credentials to President of Finland Tarja Halonen in January 2010. So when the revolution came we combined both pleasing both the historical, theological side of Iran and the democratic, ideological side. Most of my responsibility is for Finland, and to a lesser degree Estonia. The two concepts are intertwined, it's a compromise. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has again repeated his calls that the international community sit down with Iranian officials to discuss the civilian nature of the nuclear programme in Iran and bring an end to the sanctions imposed on the people of Iran. Last year saw the start of the Arab Spring the revolutionary wave of demonstrations and protests that occurred in the Arab world. That is how we professionally go about our business. Tell me your thoughts on this. Sometimes dealing with others, and the good relationships we build up, are more important than whether we reach a result or not on a particular topic on a given day. There was established at that time another dynasty, supported by the monarchists, and it took until the Islamic Revolution of 1979 before the people reached full democracy instead of just another dynastic regime change. But using religion as an instrument against others is wrong. But simultaneously we say that this development is based on the cultural life. The spirit of Islam is kind and merciful for all human beings. Seyed Rasoul Mousavi. Can a system be Islamic, and at the same time democratic. Historically it was always explained to us the monarchy is based on a theological idea and that a republic is based on an ideological idea. When dealing with other members of the diplomatic corps there are many other factors sometimes the relationship between diplomats is one thing, the relationship between their countries is another
The Iranian strategy has been and will remain, to maintain peace in the region. Let me be frank, after our revolution in 1979 and the foundation of the Islamic Republic of Iran, there are some issues between Iran and the United States and it's had a dark shadow, on an international level, and on the find its goal through military means. Nuclear energy must not be equaled to a nuclear bomb. When I started my job in Finland and I presented my credentials to President Tarja Halonen, I said that Helsinki had played a very important role in the history of West and East - during the Cold War. He was shown the model of the home in Mossad headquarters in Tel Aviv, which he described in detail also. They will not admit they have the weapons, never mind admit inspectors. What we are saying is that the aggressor will not
Iran has always emphasised that we don't want to have nuclear bombs, but we think that nuclear technology is our inevitable right.
up our right to enrichment in principle, but we were willing to consider a compromise solution. Spring changes to summer and so on, but awakening is an internal development within society so spring is too small a word. Nuclear bombs belong to the 20th century. In Iran we realise it is also possible to also sell to other countries. In the US, Rick Santorum, Republican candidate for the Whitehouse said in October, "On occasion, scientists working on the nuclear programme in Iran turn up dead. It depends on how we approach the issue. We indicated that we would not give
interaction between Iran and the US. Terrorism has a political agenda, but this is just criminal. If we look at Israel, they have nuclear weapons. But regardless sanctions are not a good policy for the future. Ruled under a succession of monastic dynasties from 1501, until the Islamic Revolution in 1979. If we review the history, especially in the last 300 years, you cannot find one instance of Iran attacking another nation. Most recently, on 11 January Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, the deputy head of the uranium enrichment facility at Natanz, was blown up by a magnetic bomb attached to his car door. Until this time Western countries have reached the conclusion that they cannot reach their aims by war, but they have reached the conclusion that they can reach their aims by sanctions instead of war. Of course these sanctions have an effect on the normal life of the everyday people of Iran. But in a military dimension we have proved in the Iraqi aggression against us that the result of a military conflict can remain in the hands of the one who is not the aggressor. I read one interesting article recently that claimed that `we are to prevent Iran from getting the nuclear bomb, but if we attack Iran we have guaranteed that Iran will do what we want to prevent'. Last year one Mossad operative was arrested and charged for his role in the killing of nuclear physicist Massoud Ali Mohammadi. How do you feel about the current oil embargo and sanctions, most recently implemented by the EU. But now some Western countries use oil as part of their political tools. The only way forward is through talking, diplomacy and negotiation. The nuclear issue is in one moment a very complicated issue and simultaneously is a very simple issue. I think the responsibility for these actions is not just for one country or two coun-
tries, we think that all the international community must condemn these operations. That was a bloody, eightyear war where Iraq, led by Saddam Hussein and backed by the US, attacked Iran. This is a criminal act. Over 500,000 Iranians martyred in that war. We have before, sat down with EU, represented by UK, France and Germany, and reached, through much discussion, a compromise solution. I feel there is no political will from the other side to find a solution. How do you see a solution to these current problems and what is the way forward. It does not have the result which these policy-makers in the West speculate. I am saying that we have very concrete examples, in three or more phases, that unfortunately, because of the lack of political will, there is no result. So even if we have more and more pressure in the economic sense from outside, the people will unite more. We are trying to find the way for dialogue, for negotiation, for expressing views and for interaction. We have not agreed with this approach, as a basis for moving forward. They think that if they have sanctions it is possible that there will be a change in the minds of the people, if they have difficulties in their day-to-day life. I think that's a wonderful thing." Can this be seen as aggressive military action on Iranian soil. How can they kill a researcher in the street as he drops his child to day-care. We are living in a new century. They believe economic pressure will result in social change and that will result in political change so the people will change their attitude with respect to the government. Many people use the term Arab Spring, but we say that spring is only a temporary thing. I really wish that there would a Helsinki Round 2, to play a constructive role in this regard.
Imam Khomeini, the Founder of the Islamic Revolution.
Caspian Sea
Capital: Tehran Area: Total 1,648,195 km2 Population: 75,330,000 (2011 estimate) Supreme Leader: Ali Khamenei President: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Official language(s): Persian (other languages Azeri, Assyrian Neo-Aramaic, Armenian, Kurdish, Lori, Balochi, Gilaki, Mazandarani, Arabic, Turkmen) GDP (nominal): Total 319 billion euro (2011 estimate) Unified as an empire in 625 BC, but known as Iran (or Eran) since 224 BC. If it can be proved that sanctions, which are a form of economic war, are not useful, then we are waiting at the table to talk again. But we are saying that related issues in this regard are more complex than the main issue the issues which the general public may not see so clearly. This is against a human being who is working in the university, like many around the world. But with sanctions, the embargo and the pressure, we feel we may not reach a constructive result. Iran has always emphasised that we don't want to have nuclear bombs, but we think that nuclear technology is our inevitable right. This is a disservice to the society of man...' Iran's President Ahmadinejad.. We know all too well that war is a bad thing it is against human beings, against the future and against human wisdom. But in March that year, the Bush administration in the United States said they would not accept any enrichment at all in Iran. I even remember from my time as a student that we said that oil should not be used as a political instrument. As regards the nuclear programme and claims it could be used for nuclear weapons. I'm not saying this as an Ambassador, but from my own knowledge and learning, that historically and psychologically the people of Iran unite under the umbrella of government. The other side says that Iran can have nuclear technology, but cannot have nuclear bomb. Yet they have not signed up to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, of which Iran is a signatory. So it's an Islamic "awakening". Totally dismissive. Some in America are saying the military option is the best option. Dissent and unrest over the following decades culminated in the Iranian Revolution which led to establishment of an Islamic republic on 1 April 1979.
Pe rs ia n G ul f
Kish
Sea of Oman
L E H T I K U VA / A F P P H O T O
`Again, did nuclear arms help the Soviet Union from falling and disintegrating. We cannot answer terror by terror our logic is stronger than retaliation. If anyone accepts this sort of operation they must shoulder the blame. Sanctions are not a civilised, democratic policy we are against sanctions in general. These are the two opinions that hold sway, and yet plainly they are identical. It seems at times United States and EU don't seem to want to change their point of view. He confessed and told of a scale model of the home of the scientist he helped assassinate by hiding a bomb on a motorcycle outside the front door. We feel that some EU countries have a false and incorrect analysis in this respect. Peace is the best thing for the people. According to our Islamic Believes, nuclear weapons and the warfare they wage, are haraam, forbidden. The killer, Majid Jamali Fashi, has been sentenced to death. But at that time United States was out of the negotiation and rejected it out of hand. HELSINKI TIMES
9 15 FEBRUARY 2012
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of the people and, as Islam is the core of the cultural life of these people, then any change will be an Islamic awakening. The Helsinki Accords in 1975 did so much to bring West and East together. We are against war and we don't do anything that results in war. How does Iran feel about this. There have been a number of assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists in Iran. And the other issue we see which countries are buying Iranian oil: Greece, Italy and Spain. We are trying to be very transparent in relation to these things we don't want any confusion. We cannot deny that. On 8 January 2012, US Secretary of Defence and former Director of the CIA -
Leon Panetta acknowledged that Iran was not trying to develop a nuclear weapon, but was trying to develop a nuclear capability. On 26 July 2009, United States Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton explicitly ruled out the possibility that the Obama administration would allow Iran to produce its own nuclear fuel, even under intense international inspection. If we see the current economic climate in Europe we see that these policies are also against countries like Greece, not against the UK or France. If we can arrive at the point where everybody realises that sanctions are not useful, then diplomacy will start again. There is now a build up of navies in Persian Gulf. In 1953 Iran became an authoritarian regime following a coup d'état instigated by UK and US intelligence services which overthrew the democratically elected government of Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh. The influence of Persian literature, philosophy, medicine, astronomy, mathematics and art still resonates today and was an influence on the later Italian renaissance. We have our own analysis on this issue. In late February 2006, the IAEA suggested a deal, whereby Iran would give up industrial-scale enrichment and agree to import nuclear fuel from Russia. When one side reaches the conclusion that they can find a result through a military operation they will do it tomorrow. Seen as a cradle of civilisation, with written language, planned cities and fine artwork dating back to more than 2000 BC. We are not happy about this issue. He was 32 and married with a young son. But we do say that if anybody invades Iran, we will strongly defend ourselves. And did a nuclear bomb help the US to prevail inside Iraq or Afghanistan, for that matter. In that time unfortunately we have been attacked by the Russian Empire, Great Britain, the Ottoman Empire and, in the 1980s, by Iraq. It is simply murder. The international intelligence community estimates they may have up to 400 nuclear weapons. Why in this time, with the polarisation of the world in the name of Islam or West, why can there not be another Helsinki process
Not all counties however celebrate Valentine's Day, in Saudi Arabia religious police have banned the sale of Valentine's Day cards on the basis it is a Christian holiday creating a black-market in wrapping paper and roses.
Valentine's Day is on 14 February.
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9 15 FEBRUARY 2012
HELSINKI TIMES
L E H T I K U VA / M A R J A A U R I O
It's traditional in many countries to send gifts on Valentine's Day.
V for Valentine
DAV E DU N N E HEL SINKI TIMES
NEXT TUESDAY is Valentine's Day a day on which lovers traditionally express their love for each other by exchanging gifts and greeting cards. In Finland the day is celebrated as ystävänpäivä, which translates as "Friend's day". According to legend Saint Valentine was personally interrogated by the Emperor, who, though impressed with the Saint's conviction in his beliefs, sentenced him to death. The holiday is said to recognise Saint Valentine, an early Christian martyr executed by the Roman Emperor Claudius II for refusing to renounce his religion. As the name suggests, this day is more about remembering all your friends, not only your loved ones. Though not much is known of Saint Valentine, his link to things romantic appears to be that he defiantly performed Christian wedding ceremonies for Ro-
man soldiers, who the Emperor wanted to remain single has he thought single men made better soldiers. This offer is only available to current HT subscribers. Each subscriber can nominate one friend. Even the oft-quoted "The rose is red, the violet's blue" surprisingly dates back to a collection of English nursery rhymes from 1784. Offer closes on 14 February.. The night before Valentine died he sent a note to a girl who was his beloved which began, "From your Valentine..." The earliest literary reference to Valentine in a romantic sense is Chaucer's line, written in 1382, "For this was Saint Valentine's Day, when every bird cometh there to
choose his mate"
Lucinda Childs is being placed under the spotlight, with two of her works remade as 2: Dialogue with Lucinda by Nicole Beutler. After providing inspiration for the first ten years of
DIE TER HAR T WIG
The Reich strikes back
S U S A N F O U R TA N É HEL SINKI TIMES
IRON SK Y, the dark Finnish sci-fi comedy directed by Timo Vuorensola, will have its world premiere on 11 February at the 62nd Berlin International Film Fes-
the festival's existence, the groundbreaking legacy of the 1960s Judson Dance Theatre experimentalists once again reveal their influence on the programme in 2012. 2011 saw the release of her most recent album, El corazón y el sombrero ("The heart and the hat"), a homage to Spanish poet Federico García Lorca. It's the return of the Fourth Reich. Sharon Pownall-Helenius from Tanzania and Anna Bello from Nigeria are both students of the Degree Program in Experience and Wellness Management at Haaga-Helia and they felt strongly enough about the
hunger and deaths in the region that they felt they must do something to help the situation there. And so, those who seek to be bamboozled by mindless state of the art special effects masking an empty premise are in luck, as Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace makes a not entirely welcome return to the big screen. saucers that flies right into the White House. By focusing on the story of a young Anakin Skywalker before he grows up to become the respirationally-challenged Darth Vader, Lucas aimed his film squarely at youngsters, thumbing his nose at his legions of followers by depicting the dull exploits of the dark Sith-to-be. Other guests to be found at Zodiac this year include renowned dance scholar and UCLA professor Susan Leigh Foster, who is conducting a series of lectures in collaboration with Theatre Academy Helsinki.
Side Step Festival 2012 8-12 February Zodiak Center for New Dance Tallberginkatu 1 B/154 Helsinki
Latin diversity
J A M E S O ' S U L L I VA N HEL SINKI TIMES
THE FESTIVAL
Flamenca de Helsinki finishes up this Saturday. Embracing many musical styles, Gómez has shared the stage over the years with
Nicole Beutler, Dialoge with Lucinda.
Step up to dance
J A M E S O ' S U L L I VA N HEL SINKI TIMES
ENCOMPASSING
five days of performances from both new and established choreographic talents, Side Step Festival 2012 is being staged from 8-12 February at Zodiak Centre for New Dance. Commencing in 1996 and originally staged every second year, the festival eventually became an annual event in 2010, and continues to encourage interaction between the audience and performer. "We are mostly concentrating our efforts on Kenya and Somalia, as they are the places with the worst situation for the time being. With an impressive eleven million dollar budget Iron Sky is not only the biggest movie made in Finland to date; it is the biggest work internet crowd-sourcing has ever produced.
www.ironsky.net
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ANJA BEUTLER
In the wars again
J A M E S O ' S U L L I VA N HEL SINKI TIMES
IT SEEMS as if director George Lucas must be down to his last ten billion dollars
Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace 3D (K12) Release Date: 10 February Director: George Lucas Starring: Ewan McGregor, Liam Neeson Carnage (K7) Release Date: 10 February Director: Roman Polanski Starring: Kate Winslet, Jodie Foster Man on a Ledge (K12) Release Date: 10 February Director: Asger Leth Starring: Sam Worthington, Elizabeth Banks Hamilton Kansakunnan Puolesta Release Date: 10 February Director: Kathrine Windfeld Starring: Mikael Persbrandt, Saba Mubarak Risto Räppääjä ja viileä Venla (S) Release Date: 10 February Director: Mari Rantasila Starring: Lauri Karo, Venni Uotila
or so, with this week seeing the cinematic release once again of the first installment of the st upefying successful Star Wars saga this time in 3D. For those seeking an extension of the Latin celebrations, Colombian sing-
a number of leading figures from a variety of genres, such as Bonnie Raitt, John Mayer, Totó la Momposina and Mercedes Sosa. Also vying for your attention this week, Man on a Ledge sees police psychologist Elizabeth Banks trying to talk ex-con Sam Worthington down from jumping off a hotel rooftop in New York City all the while offering a distraction from the biggest diamond heist ever committed that's occurring simultaneously. Iron Sky, written by Vuorensola and Michael Kalesniko and based on the original story by Johanna Sinisalo, paints a dark picture of the world being threatened by space Nazis who escaped the fall of the Third Reich to the dark side of the Moon in 1945. The film is replete with inane dialogue and a stale plot that is frequently bogged down by intergalactic politics; don't even get me started on Jar-Jar Binks. But, with the shameless milking of the cash cow continuing over subsequent years as each film of the trilogy is released annually, at least things are looking up in terms of quality. Having released six albums during her career, and composed over 80 songs, Gómez has made a name for herself with a repertoire of original compositions based on a vast range of Latin American rhythms. Iron Sky marks a crowning moment in Finnish film history. After 70 years the Nazis return to claim the Earth with an impressive armada of flying er/songwriter Marta Gómez will be playing a much-anticipated set at Savoy Theatre on Wednesday 15 February. HELSINKI TIMES
CULTURE
ed to the USA to face child sex charges stemming from the 1970s, director Roman Polanski continues to make films that are recognised as genius. The visual effect of the launch remains the same. for a cause
DAV E DU N N E HEL SINKI TIMES
Marta Gómez
TOMORROW Helsinki's central railway station square will witness a balloon-launch to try and raise awareness and funds to send to the countries affected by the famine in East Africa. With Carnage, Polanski brings together Oscar winners Kate Winslet, Jodie Foster, and Christoph Waltz, along with John Reilly, telling the story of middle-class parents who butt heads when their sons have an altercation in the schoolyard. Adding Latin American folkloric rhythms to 12 of his poems, the album also saw Gómez teaming up with the acclaimed Spanish singer/songwriter Javier Ruibal for one selection. Finally, Risto Räppääjä ja viileä Venla continues the red-headed hero's adventures in this third installment of the hugely popular series of locally-produced children's films. We also want to show that even when the world economy is bad that people are still willing to give to help the less fortunate."
Charity Balloon-Launch 10 February, 16:00 Rautatientori / Central Railway Station Square. As Anna explains, "We didn't want these balloons to float away and land somewhere only to take years to decay, so there is a long piece of string attached to each one and they can be brought back to earth. Elsewhere, after the recent furore concerning whether or not he should be extradittival's Special Panorama category. The idea is the brainchild of two students from Haaga-Helia university of Applied Sciences and the event kicks-off at 4 pm. In promotion of this release, Gómez arrives in Finland having already performed in such countries as Israel, Colombia, Ecuador, Spain and South Africa.
Marta Gómez 15 February, 19:00 Ticket 26/28 Savoy Theatre Kasarmikatu 46-48 Helsinki
Clement Layes: Allege.
99 red balloons... Although it boasts a great cast, including the likes of Ed Harris, Anthony Mackie and Jamie Bell, advance word has been tepid, at best. When a Swedish engineer is kidnapped in Ethiopia, our man Hamilton is ordered to investigate, and soon uncovers an international arms conspiracy as well as a planned terrorist attack on Sweden. "We are recruiting people to buy a balloon from us for 1.50 that will go to the charity and join us at the release on Friday." The idea has the support of Haaga-Helia and the Red Cross and the two conscien-
tious students have even factored-in the environmental impact of the launch. The idea for the balloon-launch came to us as we sat watching TV, discussing how to get media attention for the plight of the people there," explains Sharon. Seeking to promote the different methods, trends and artists of contemporary dance, the festival provides
an opportunity for audiences to enjoy a wide range of performances, lectures, workshops, discussions and documentaries. Furthermore, audiences can enjoy two documentaries about Childs, directed by Patrick Bensard, as well as a masterclass on Childs' choreographic methods, which is being taught by Ty Boomershine. Meanwhile, Hamilton Kansakunnan Puolesta sees the first of three cinematic adventures planned for author Jan Guilloun's popular hero. Critically savaged by a majority of the feverishly fanatic Star Wars fanbase, Episode I was perhaps the most disappointing cinematic experience of the late 20th century
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9 15 FEBRUARY 2012
LIFESTYLE
HELSINKI TIMES
Exploring Finnish Cities
In this fortnightly series, Helsinki Times travels to different Finnish cities.
TEEMU HENRIK SSON
A potted history of Helsinki's major streets
Street View
OULU
Oulu is located in the region of Northern Ostrobothnia, 611 kilometres from Helsinki. And for a more rockin' evening, there is Club Teatria, a former meat-packing plant now serving as Finland's largest rock club and multi-function venue, and 45 Special, a more intimate club setting that features a live band 130 nights a year.
Simonkatu Simonkatu is a short street in the very centre of Helsinki. If you'd rather admire masterly handling of more classical instruments, the Oulu Symphony Orchestra performs throughout the spring. It connects Mannerheimintie and Annankatu, and is intersected only by Yrjönkatu. Its first claim to fame came through its important role as an exporter of tar in the 1800s, connecting Oulu to the sphere of international trade. The travel magazine Mondo chose Hailuoto as the 2012 Finnish holiday destination. Rotuaari is a pedastrian shopping area which forms the heart of the city.
Oulu the pearl of the Gulf of Bothnia
Contemporary Oulu is both a centre of technological expertise and a home for a vibrant art and culture scene.
TEEMU HENRIK SSON HEL SINKI TIMES
stores, most notably Stockmann. The latter can be found in the Ainola Park, a popular recreation and picnic location in the summertime. As for museums, Oulu is the home of Finland's first science centre, Tietomaa, located conveniently at a walking distance from the city centre. But thanks to its compactness, everything is within walking distance. The duties of the first city engineers were very diverse, having included designing streets and buildings and drawing maps. Manager Mixu Paatelainen, himself a part of the recently retired dynasty, certainly has a tough job on his hands. Knowing this, the visitor in Oulu could well be surprised by the relatively small size of its city centre. The seaside Market Square, with its idyllic huts hosting cafés, bistros and artisanal shops, is definitely worth checking out as well, particularly in the summertime when there's a lively market. AGWC had humble beginnings, but together with the Oulu Music Video Festival, organised at the same time, it has become a fullfledged summer happening, hosting concerts and film screenings. Simonkatu is currently in the very centre of Helsinki, but when the street was named in 1836, it was still fairly out of the way.
3 daytrips from Oulu
Hailuoto The largest island in the Bay of Bothnia, accessible by car or bus from Oulu and known for its pure nature and fishing, trekking and sunbathing opportunities in the summertime. However, not since the `Golden Generation', which was packed full of stars plying their trade in the best leagues throughout Europe, has the
L E H T I K U VA / A N T T I A I M O - KO I V I S T O
international scene been enveloped in such a feel-good factor. But the most original music event in Oulu, and quite possibly in the whole of Finland, is the Air Guitar World Championship, organised for the seventeenth time 22-24 August 2012. Kierikki also has on-going excavations. The combative midfielder was an exceptional player and deserves all the plaudits that have come his way in the last few days, thanks to a career that spanned five countries, 16 years and 69 international games. That issue has now been resolved, and the retirement of one of the country's great cult figures has served as yet another reminder that the great national side which
graced Finnish football at the turn of the century is no longer. And, despite the league starting minus another clutch of promising youngsters, a quick glance at the squad lists for this season suggests that the conveyor belt of talent shows no sign of slowing down.
Upcoming Finnish League Cup matches 10 February 14:00 Honka v MyPa 15:00 TPS v Haka 11 February 16:30 FF Jaro v KuPS 16:30 JJK v VPS 14 February 14:00 Honka v Lahti. The pedestrian street Rotuaari forms the heart of the city, with a mixture of small boutiques and pubs and bigger department
Big city culture The Oulu city theatre, situated right by the Market Square, hosts ten opening nights and a total of 350 performances a year. Soon, however, the city will experience yet another transformation, in which it will see unprecedent-
ed growth: at the end of the year, the four nearby towns of Haukipudas, Kiiminki, Oulunsalo and Yli-Ii will join Oulu, taking Oulu's population from today's 140,000 to almost 190,000 and causing Oulu to overtake Turku as the fifth largest city in Finland. The recent transfer of young HJK midfielder Alexander Ring initially on loan to German club Borussia Mönchengladbach is representative of the way that Finnish talent is being snapped up around the continent at present. Many of these officials have been forgotten over the years, and Grönlund is an unfamiliar name to the Helsinki residents of today. The street is named after a city engineer called Simon Grönlund (1788-1862). Its main sight is the reconstructed Stone Age village, featuring hands-on activities, of people who lived on the location 5,000-7,000 years ago. However, that may be about to change, thanks to an exciting group of young players who have exited the Finnish league in order to join some of Europe's most notable clubs. The number of young, talented Finns currently migrating abroad has given the country real belief that it may soon have a national team to be proud of once again.
Teemu Pukki (left) celebrates with Alexei Eremenko Jr.
Ultimate failure Most of that esteemed group, led by household names such as Sami Hyypiä, Antti Niemi and Jonatan Johansson, have now either hung up their boots or been deemed too old for the rigours of international football. More lately, the city has become a major centre for technological know-how, particularly in the fields of mobile and web services. In the summer, head here for some excellent trekking terrain, with 75 kilometres of marked trails in the surrounding Syöte National Park.
The second coming of Finnish football?
CR AIG HOUS TON HEL SINKI TIMES
THE PRE-SEASON
rigours of the Finnish football season began last month with a question hanging over champions HJK: would midfielder Aki Riihilahti continue for another season. Ski Resort Syöte The southernmost fells of Finland host a skiing centre, reachable by bus for a day trip on the slopes, not to mention the numerous other winter activities that are available. From there, it is easy to improvise cycling excursions for example to Nallikari, the biggest of Oulu's 17 beaches taking advantage of Oulu's coastal location and its excellent cycling paths.
OULU HAS had many faces since it was founded in 1605 at the mouth of the river Oulujoki. Furthermore, there are a number of players who were brought into the national set-up through necessity a few years ago and are now established and crucial members of the line-up. However, despite the undeniable amount of talent that pulled on the famous blue and white shirt throughout the late 90s and early 2000s, this was an international side that never managed to get Finland to a major tournament.
What has followed in the two or three years since these legends played their final games for the huuhkajat has been a period of despondency and depression: the national team has seen attendances at fixtures diminish, performances on the pitch disintegrate and the level of enthusiasm for the game dwindle. For example, Jukka Raitala is establishing himself in the Spanish league with Osasuna, while striking prodigy Lauri Dalla Valle and young keeper Jesse Joronen are both part of English Premier League side Fulham's plans for the future. However, this young group of players has the potential to be even better than their illustrious predecessors, and may just be the perfect cure for this recent slump in fortune. Names such as Hämäläinen, Përparim Hetemaj, Sparv, Moisander and Roman Eremenko are instantly recognisable to supporters, but all are only in their mid-20s despite the fact they have
amassed more than 110 caps between them. The Qstock mu-
sic festival, taking place 2728 July, is the biggest one, featuring the biggest names in the Finnish music scene along with a selection of big foreign acts. Grönlund was a city engineer when the building of the new capital city had just started in the early 19th century, when officials could still lend their names to Helsinki city streets while they were still alive. The obvious exception is, of course, the evergreen Jari Litmanen, but even he cannot go on forever, and `The King' has not played for his country since November 2010. Close to it is also the Oulu Museum of Art as well as the Northern Ostrobothnia museum, which exhibits local history from the prehistoric times to the late 19th century. Oulu is overtaken by a plethora of music events in the summer. The undisputed highlight is naturally the air guitar contest, where air guitar virtuosos from the world over get to flaunt their skills on an outdoor stage. Kierikki Stone Age Centre Located on the banks of the river Iijoki, 50 kilometres north from Oulu, the Kierikki Centre gives a glimpse into Finnish prehistory. Teemu Pukki, a fellow former HJK mainstay, is another who has recently made the short trip across the Baltic Sea to the Bundesliga, and
two goals on his first start for title-chasing Schalke 04 have ensured the 21-year-old is already a firm favourite with its notoriously demanding supporters.
Potential Indeed, the current international squad is littered with players who are now plying their trade in the best leagues around Europe
Food and drink can certainly help one in avoiding the winter blues, mind you, and when it comes to foodstuffs that warm the cockles of your heart as well as your bodily extremities, fondue is a pretty good option. Coming in at 32 euros per person it's not the cheapest option in town, but the meats come with a plethora of extras including vegetables, mushrooms, gherkins, potato, salad, the smoke aioli, and the delicious tomato sauce of the house. The only problem is that you might get carried away with convivial conversation, and forget about your overcooked rump steak not a good idea. Yet I reckon that most people's reaction when they hear the word fondue is something along the lines of, "I wonder if we still have that fondue set in the back of our cupboard that Aunt Cecilia gave us for Christmas fifteen years ago. Essentially making your own dinner at the table is a talking point in itself, and for a country where eating in company can be like having lunch in a monastery, is a very welcome change.
Restaurant Savu Tervasaari Helsinki Tel. We still haven't used it." The fact is that fondue is one of those dishes that a lot of people know about, yet relatively few restaurants offer and even fewer
people get round to making at home. Sadly, due to a group booking our tast-
ing session had to end. This is also the cheapest option amongst the fondues here (19 euros per person), and is served with some salad, a baked potato and a pot of excellent smokeflavoured aioli. This meant we couldn't try the 12 euro chocolate fondue either a blessing in disguise or a travesty of natural justice, depending on how you look at it. On the positive side, fondue is an excellent option for a nice evening out with friends
where time is not of the essence and genial discussion is the order of the day. HELSINKI TIMES
EAT & DRINK
9 15 FEBRUARY 2012
19
RIKU PIHL ANTO
Let's fondue!
There's nothing like a nice steaming bowl of melted cheese on a cold winter's day.
NICK BARLOW HEL SINKI TIMES
YOU MIGHT have noticed it's winter, yeah. The wooden building in which it sits was originally a tar storehouse built in 1805, and there's certainly an old-school charm about the place. A bowl of this cheese variant is a good choice for a newbie or a vegetarian, or rather for two of them, since they're listed on the menu on the basis of one caquelon being enough for two diners. Savu means smoke in Finnish, so if you like your food flavoured with that particular aroma then this may well be the place for you. To sum up, on the negative side you can find cheaper and faster food (although the three-fondue menu at 47 euros per person is good value), and fondue isn't as good, entertainment-wise, if you're eating on your own and there's no-one to laugh at you when you drop your croutons. +358 20 7424 210 www.cantinawest.net
The basic, most traditional cheese fondue takes the form of a large(ish) ceramic pot that is heated on the table. 5 P.M.
CHILDREN FRIENDLY; own play corner for kids.
Open
CANTINA WEST, Kasarmikatu 23, Helsinki Tel. In the pot, or caquelon, is put a mixture of cheeses (Finnish smoked cheese included here, naturally), and cubes of crusty bread are speared with long forks, dipped in the cheese mixture, and eaten often with melted cheese dripping down your chin. Ice on the streets, snow falling from the heavens, daylight in short supply and generally feeling rather jolly cold. (09) 647 551, mob 040 7347 638 www.himalaya.fi
YA. I must admit I found it hard to see the point of the bratwurst I prefer those sausages fried or grilled personally, and not boiled but the other two meats were good value. Next time, next time. Send your suggestions to info@helsinkitimes.fi
Finnish Cuisine
HI
L MA A
Nepalese Cuisine
Since 1993
The Oldest Nepalese Restaurant in Finland
Open Mon-Fri 11-23, weekends 12-23, Lunch: Mon-Fri 11-15 Contact Ratakatu 1B, 00120 Helsinki. 09 7425 5574 Fondue menu available until 4 April
Mon-Tue 11-23, Wed-Thu 11-24, Fri 11-01, Sat 12-01 & Sun 12-22
Savu is situated on Tervasaari near Kruununhaka.
Ravintola Martta
"like my mother cooks" Lapinlahdenkatu 3, 00180 Helsinki
Happy with Helsinki Times Eat&Drink topics. Book your table tel. Laughing at your mate desperately trying to hook out a dropped crouton from the pot is surprisingly amusing, so long as it's not your crouton that's gone AWOL. Apparently fruits would have been involved, which sounds positively healthy. The meat fondue, on the other hand, is filled with a bubbling beef broth used to cook lumps of beef, reindeer
and bratwurst. Savu has two floors, with two rooms for hire upstairs, and the main dining room on the ground floor.
Cubes of crusty bread are speared with long forks, dipped in the cheese mixture and eaten.
Welcome to Europe's top TexMex Restaurant!
SUNDAY FIESTA
0 24,9rs. Still, despite its relative scarcity there's nothing like a nice steaming bowl of melted cheese on a cold winter's day, so yours truly accepted an invitation to the Savu restaurant to taste their fondue menu, available until the beginning of April.
Dipping in Nestled on Tervasaari island, a hundred metres off the Kruununhaka shoreline, Restaurant Savu has a long history. pe
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12 P.M. You won't leave hungry.
Three-course meal After two hours sharing the cheese and meat fondues, my friend and I were nowhere near finished, and could happily have ploughed on for a couple more
For dinner, the chef's favourites are a starter of sashimi (12), followed by crispy Arctic Char with fennel and shiso leaf salad with a jalapeno/coriander dressing (21) and a coconut and pineapple dessert (8.50).
Easy on the wallet As you can see, the prices are definitely not out of proportion. KITCHEN 11-24 SAT 12-02 . +358 9 635 732 www.juuri.fi
Transforming Finnish gifts of nature in an innovative manner to suit modern tastes.
FIRST VAPIANO IN HELSINKI IS NOW OPEN! COME AND ENJOY!
FRESH DELICIOUS HEALTHY
VAPIANO HELSINKI MIKONKATU 15 tel. Masato fell in love with a form of dining ubiquitous in Asia, where you're able to taste a myriad of flavours all served in small portions in one sitting. Their after-work menu consists of a sampler of three dumplings combined with a glass of wine, cider or beer, all for 8. And there's no need to feel bloated and guilty afterwards, since this is a lowcarb type of place where rice must be ordered separately if that's what you want. KITCHEN 12-23
FREE WIFI
HELSINKI STOCKHOLM BERLIN NEW YORK PARIS LONDON WIEN TALLINN
NUMBER ONE FOR FANS!
Fondue Menu 12.1. 4.4.
It's Fondue time!
· KAIVOKATU 8, HELSINKI (OPPOSITE THE CENTRAL RAILWAY STATION) · TEL. 09 6981225, helsinki1@vapiano.fi, www.vapiano.fi MON-THU 11-24 . The mere fact that you can get all the wines on the list by the glass is already a huge plus. +358 10 766 4300 SPORTSACADEMY.FI
THE LEADING NORDIC SPORTS RESTAURANT
Welcome to Europe's top TexMex Restaurant!
SUNDAY FIESTA
0 24,9rs. It's huge, well able to seat 120 indoors. Since Japanese food on its own is rather delicate in flavor and thus perhaps more of a challenge for the Western palate, it is combined with Korean cuisine which uses a lot more garlic and chili. Ingredients are sourced locally, where possible. The terrace which opens in the summer inside the `sausage' of the so-called Makkaratalo (sausage building) will seat 400 and serve food for up to 100. In the same fashion as the Buddha Bar in New York, Namu is a one-stop entertainment space for pre-dinner cocktails and starters, wining and unique dining and to finish off, a post-dinner cocktail and perhaps a jiggling of the hips to complete the evening.
Namu Makkaratalo, 3rd floor Kaivokatu 6 Helsinki www.namu.fi
Korkeavuorenkatu 27 Helsinki Tel. The best way to experience the range of lipsmacking delicacies is to gather up a group of friends, order a lot of samplers, dig in, enjoy and then choose
the one you like best, all for yourself. pe
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12 P.M. 20
9 15 FEBRUARY 2012
EAT & DRINK
T E E M U L I N D RO O S T E E M U L I N D RO O S
HELSINKI TIMES
RESTAURANTS · PUBS · BARS
Nepalese Restaurant
The biggest Nepalese Restaurant in Helsinki · Suitable for group parties · Fully licensed · Delicious food with tandoor
Welcome to Satkar
Fredrikinkatu 46 (Kamppi, Autotalo). Hence the numerous dumplings,
which are prepared in one of three ways: Korean (deep fried), Japanese (pan-fried on the bottom and steamed to finish) and Chinese (completely steamed). The cocktail menu was designed by Lab, a company that has played a major role in putting together wine and drinks lists for some of the biggest players in the restaurant field in Finland. It all works well together and creates a mood for lounging, relaxing and sampling a few tasty morsels. 00100 Helsinki, Finland Tel. 5 P.M.
Restaurant Savu Old storehouse atmosphere Tervasaari island tel. +358 (0)9 7425 5574 Open: TueSat 1823 www.asrestaurants.com
CHILDREN FRIENDLY; own play corner for kids.
Open
CANTINA WEST, Kasarmikatu 23, Helsinki Tel. With a hun-
dred per cent Finnish upbringing and a Japanese father, he has travelled the world and worked in prestigious restaurants, including the globally renowned Nobu group in London and New York. +358 20 7424 210 www.cantinawest.net
Mon-Tue 11-23, Wed-Thu 11-24, Fri 11-01, Sat 12-01 & Sun 12-22. KITCHEN 12-24 SUN 12-24 . A bottle of Moët will set you back 65 which is not untoward. KITCHEN 11-23 FRI 11-02 . Executive chef Masato Ikeda is the epitome of the atmosphere and cuisine that Namu projects. The menu mixes Japanese, Korean, Chinese and Thai flavours.
Nam, Nam, Namu!
Surprisingly cheap eats and dancing to boot.
V I O L E T TA T E E T O R HEL SINKI TIMES
WALKING into Namu in City Centre, one first notices the size of the place, secondly the décor and thirdly the various spaces where one can chill out, dine and even dance. The décor is a stylish and elegant combination of Finnish birch and New York glitz. +358 9 611 077, +358 40 707 1140 www.satkar.fi
Namu's décor is a stylish combination of New York glitz and Finnish nature. It was there that he met Kimmo Sihvola, another Finnish chef, who recommended him to Sedu Koskinen, owner and creator of Namu.
A myriad of flavours Asian food with a twist is what you can expect, with a combination of Japanese, Korean, Chinese and Thai