Summer Holiday Season Begins European Nations, Finns Consid- Consultants and Behaviour That Bor- Er Domestic Political Parties to Be Ders on Bribery,” He Added
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ISSUES 25 & 26 (104 – 105) • 18 JUNE – 1 JULY 2009 • €3 • WWW.HELSINKITIMES.FI REPORTAGE LIFESTYLE Helsinki Times wishes all our Helsinki On the Surf’s up readers a happy midsummer! Summer ground in in The next issue of Helsinki Times Guide Chernobyl Finland will be published on 2 July. pages 13-16 page 10 page 17 Finland’s clean image tarnished by political funding scandal LEHTIKUVA HEIKKI SAUKKOMAA / The latest Transparency International report shows corruption to be a worldwide phenomenon – even in Finland. NICK BARLOW than half of those polled worldwide HELSINKI TIMES believed that the private sector us- es bribes to infl uence public policy, DESPITE Finland’s angelic reputa- laws and regulations. tion, Finns do consider their socie- Transparency International ar- ty to be affected by corruption. The gues that businesses have much to 2009 International Corruption Ba- gain from emphasising their uncor- rometer report, published by Trans- ruptability. “A reputation for uncor- parency International, claims that rupt business practice could be used traditionally non-corrupt countries advantageously by Finnish busi- are not untouched by dishonesty. nesses in the global marketplace,” The report assesses public per- said Santeri Eriksson, spokesper- ception of corruption. Although son for Transparency Finland. The popularity of summer cottage holidays is increasing. In 2008 there were 481,700 cottages in Finland. living in a country with low lev- “But a reputation can be lost in els of corruption compared with, an instant if a company's staff are for example, African and South unaware of the risks of corruption, American states, as well as many such as ambiguous contracts with Summer holiday season begins European nations, Finns consid- consultants and behaviour that bor- er domestic political parties to be ders on bribery,” he added. DAVID J. CORD travel abroad this year,” continues trepreneurs can relate to Ameri- the organisations most affected by The barometer clearly shows HELSINKI TIMES Svartström. “Europe is the chosen can workers, as they also only take dirty politics. A full 39 per cent of that corruption is not restricted to destination of 22 per cent of Finns. about two weeks off during the respondents considered this to be specifi c countries. Internationally, FOR MUCH of the Finnish popula- The other Nordic countries and the summer. the case, while parliament and the it is the poorest families who con- tion it is time to head to the cabin Baltics account for 12 and 10 per Besides travelling, the average legislature, the media and the judi- tinue to be punished by petty-bribe and dance around the maypole as cent respectively.” Finn drastically changes his con- ciary were considered the sectors demands. The worst-affected coun- Midsummer is the traditional start The main summer holiday month sumption habits during this time of least affected. tries are in Africa: in Cameroon, Li- to the summer holidays. The annual in the Nordic countries is July, while year. According to Statistics Finland On a scale of 1 being not at all cor- beria, Sierra Leone and Uganda, rite of summer is so deeply ingrained for much of Europe vacations start the purchases of berries, entertain- rupt and 5 being the most corrupt, where more than 50 per cent of re- in the Finnish consciousness that a in August. This has occasionally led ment events, T-shirts, ice cream Finnish political parties received an spondents reported paying a bribe massive recession and surging un- to government wrangling, as Finn- and cider more than double during average score of 2.9. The judiciary, in the last year. The police were iden- employment are having little effect ish bureaucrats want to take their the summer. The popularity of bar- by contrast, received a score of 1.9. tifi ed as the most common source of on summer holiday plans. holidays now while EU offi cials are beques also changes how Finns eat. Furthermore, two per cent of Finn- bribe demands. Nordea’s annual summer holiday trying to schedule meetings and Sales of pork chops and sausage ish respondents admitted to pay- The Barometer, now in its sixth survey has found that Finns are ac- conferences. skyrocket while ham and herring go ing a bribe of some kind in the past edition, draws from Gallup Inter- tually prepared to spend more than July is the overwhelming favour- virtually unsold. year. Compared with other Euro- national’s Voice of the People Sur- last summer. “The average holiday ite month for taking a holiday in For those who stay in Finland pean countries, however, the Finn- vey and other survey work. This budget has increased to 1,600 eu- Finland. According to Statistics Fin- during their holidays, they are like- ish scores were relatively low – the year’s results refl ect the responses ros compared to 1,410 last year,” land almost 37 per cent of the en- ly to fi nd the best weather during Belgians rated their judiciary 4.5 of 73,132 people in 69 countries and says Nordea Private Economist Tar- tire work force takes their holidays July. According to the Finnish Me- for corruption and in Iceland the lo- territories, gathered between Oc- ja Svartström. “Regardless of des- during July. August and June are the teorological Institute July has the cal business sector scored 4.3. Finns tober 2008 and February 2009. Re- tination Finns plan to spend more next most popular months, with 17 calmest winds, most sunshine, and are divided 50-50 on whether gov- spondents were asked about their this summer than last year.” and 13 per cent of the workforce on warmest temperatures of the year. ernment action in the fi ght against experiences of petty bribery, their Nordea’s survey determined that vacation respectively. Perhaps the only black mark against corruption is effective. perception of the pervasiveness of Finns are more likely to prefer trav- The typical summer holiday for July weather is that it there is slight- corruption in domestic institutions el inside the country this year, at a Finnish employee is four weeks. ly more rain than average. That is Mistrust of the private sector as well as their views on the integ- least for part of their holiday. About While the norm for Europeans is likely to be true for Midsummer if The fi ndings of this year’s Barome- rity of the private sector and of gov- 64 per cent will stay in Finland this about three or four weeks of sum- the meteorologists are correct: they ter showed the depth of public mis- ernment effectiveness in fi ghting year, up from 56 per cent in 2008. mer holiday, Americans make due are predicting rain over the entire trust of the private sector. More corruption. “Also, more people say that they will with only twelve days. Finnish en- country for Midsummer’s weekend. In The Spirit Of Finnish Countryside Restaurant Zetor In The Heart Of Helsinki Restaurant Zetor - Mannerheimintie 3-5, Helsinki - www.zetor.net 2 18 JUNE – 1 JULY 2009 Q & A HELSINKI TIMES Is the global crisis really about a 140-dollar barrel of oil? Chris Arsenault (IPS) talks to economist Jeff Rubin about the end of oil-fuelled globalisation. LEHTIKUVA / SCOTT OLSON JR: The model as we know it million barrels a day of new peaked in 2007. If we meas- production, just so that we ure globalisation by the per- can [continue to] consume centage of world GDP that is what we consume today. an export or an import, 2007 will mark the peak of a past Q: Even if you are correct age. that supplies of cheap oil You are going to see less are dwindling, couldn’t and less container ships. All increased effi ciency of those containers are about make up for shortfalls in one thing: a wage arc. Mov- production? ing your factory from some- place where you pay folks 30 JR: We think that effi cien- bucks an hour to somewhere cy leads to conservation but where you pay folks 30 bucks history has shown that is not a week is great, if it’s just what happens. about wages. The average engine today But what moves those is 30 per cent more effi cient container ships is oil. At 150- than the engines produced 200 dollars per barrel, the before the OPEC oil shocks wage arc becomes pennywise [of the 1970s]. Yet, the aver- and a pound foolish because age [North American] vehicle what you save on a wage bill consumes just as much gaso- you more than spend on bun- line in the course of a year. ker fuel. Back in the 1970s, we [North Americans] used to Q: Some analysts esti- drive about 9,000 miles a mate that 25 per cent of the year, now we drive 12,000. world’s hydrocarbons are Back in the 1970s, we weren’t Motorists fill their vehicles with gas on 3 June in Chicago, Illinois. Gas prices have climbed nearly 20 cents since mid-May to an located in the Arctic and will living in the far-fl ung sub- average of 2.49 dollars a gallon. soon be open to exploitation urbs. All those gains in ef- due to global warming. fi ciency have led us to, ever IN HIS new book, Why Your paranoia." and a half million barrels per offshore deposits - that be- more effi ciently, consume World is About to Get a Whole But in 2000, Rubin cor- day over the next four or fi ve come viable to exploit? JR: The stuff in the Arctic is more and more oil. Lot Smaller, Jeff Rubin argues rectly predicted that oil years.