Finland's New Government Sworn In
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ISSUE 25 & 26 (155 & 156) • 24 JUNE – 7 JULY 2010 • €3 • WWW.HELSINKITIMES.FI Helsinki Times wishes SUMMER GUIDE CULTURE EAT&DRINK Special The spring From you a soothing holiday! summer of 1968 storage shed The next issue of Helsinki Times section to jewel is published on 8 July. page 11-13 page 15 page 16 Finland’s new LEHTIKUVA / VESA MOILANEN government sworn in STT one mind, however. The chairman ALEKSIS TORO–HT of the Christian Democrats’ parlia- mentary group Bjarne Kallis and a FINLAND’S new government took few of his fellow party members as offi ce on Tuesday 22 June. The sec- well as the True Finns’ Pertti Vir- ond government of Matti Van- tanen declined to vote. hanen resigned and the four party Some of the Christian Demo- government of the Centre Party’s crats took a different view. The par- new chairman Mari Kiviniemi, ty’s chairman Päivi Räsänen voted formed by the Centre Party, the Na- against Kiviniemi’s election. Other- tional Coalition Party, the Green wise, Räsänen has only good things League and the Swedish People’s to say about Kiviniemi. “I wish her Party assumed offi ce. The new gov- every success. It is important to all ernment’s swearing-in ceremo- of us that the prime minister han- ny began in the morning when the dles things well,” Räsänen said. Trains will be packed tight on the Thursday and Friday before Midsummer weekend. Speaker of the Parliament Sauli The Centre Party’s ministers Niinistö (National Coalition) visited will continue in their prior posi- President Tarja Halonen and Halo- tions except for the new Minis- Full trains and busy roads for Midsummer nen notifi ed the parliament of the ter for Administration and Local name of the new prime minister. Government Tapani Tölli (Centre). Parliament elected Mari Kivi- Tölli says he will fi rst familiarise niemi as the new prime minister. himself with the matters in prep- Outgoing Midsummer traffic is expected to be at its busi- For centuries, Finns have celeb- Her election was accepted with aration and then see what is to be est in the afternoon and evening of Thursday 24 June. rated Midsummer, which takes 115–56 votes. Four members of accomplished during the next 10 its title from the Finnish name for parliament declined to vote and 24 months. John the Baptist, Johannes Kasta- ja. Traditionally, the national flag were absent. The new prime minis- STT the temperature is expected to drop ter was chosen by the Centre Par- JAMES O’SULLIVAN–HT down to about 10 degrees at the is raised at 18:00 on juhannus eve ty and the parties in government. lowest. On Sunday, cooler air will and flown all night until 21:00 the following evening. Having had no part in the choice of THIS weekend sees the annual cel- fl ow into the whole country. Last LEHTIKUVA LEHTIKUVA prime minister the opposition par- ebration in Finland of Midsummer, year, both Midsummer day and eve ties reached for the red button. juhannus. Held this year on 26 June, were cool and rainy. “The government has chosen Midsummer is notable for the ma- For many Finnish families, Mid- Thursday 24 June between 14:00 its prime minister. This has noth- jority of the population heading to summer is the time when they move and 21:00. The outgoing traffi c will ing to do with the opposition. There the countryside for prolonged cel- to their summer cottage, with par- continue on Friday when the traf- is no drama involved here. We will ebrations that include the lighting ents often taking their annual four fi c is expected to get going at 9:00, not support the government’s pro- of a giant bonfi re, or kokko, at lake- weeks leave. Thus, traffi c jams are remaining busy until 14:00. The re- gramme, either,” the vice chairman sides and by the sea. expected on the roads heading out turn traffi c will be seen on Sunday of the Social Democratic Party’s Unstable weather is predicted of the major cities on Thursday and evening but will probably be sparser parliamentary group Miapetra for Midsummer. The Finnish Mete- Friday as people scramble to com- than outgoing traffi c. Traffi c police Kumpula-Natri said. orological Institute reports that it mence their holidays. recommend that drivers take alter- The entire parliament was not of New Prime Minister Mari Kiviniemi. may rain intermittently on Friday, Roadworks will hinder juhannus native routes during the peak hours juhannus eve, in the southern and traffi c this year on many popu- and urge caution especially in over- central parts of the country, but in lar routes. Such work is to be sus- taking lanes. the north the weather will be sunny pended, however, for the duration World Cup pulls in the punters and calm. On Friday and Saturday, of Midsummer. Unnecessary ob- Check out Midsummer informa- the temperature may reach over 20 stacles will also be removed from tion on page 23. Read about juhan- NICK BARLOW major sporting event. “They should degrees Celsius in sunny parts, but the roads. The outgoing juhannus nus activities in the capital area on HELSINKI TIMES have it every two years,” he laughs, rainy areas will be cooler. At night, traffi c is expected to be busiest on page 18. “or even annually. It’s great for busi- EVEN IN a land as traditionally ice ness. I estimate our sales are up by hockey-fi xated as Finland, the foot- 25 per cent on average. For the last Finland’s first ball World Cup appears to have giv- Mexican game we had a big crowd en the country’s sport-friendly bars of their supporters in here having a memory trainer Capital attracts travellers an fi nancial fi llip. “We’re really a proper party. When Brazil played we DAVID J. CORD rugby bar but the World Cup has in- had samba dancers. For the German HELSINKI TIMES STT sector around three million euros in creased our sales by between 15 and game we’ll have a German band and HELSINKI TIMES total. Marketing of Helsinki abroad 30 per cent depending on the match will be grilling bratwurst.” MARTTI VANNAS has a unique job. is chiefl y focused on Russia, Ger- times,” says Bejay Visser, owner of Despite Finland’s somewhat pre- He makes a living out of teaching LAST year, for the fi rst time, more many, the United Kingdom, Sweden, the Aussie Bar in central Helsinki, dictable failure to qualify, people liv- people how to improve their mem- tourists than business travellers the USA and Japan. Although fewer where as many games as possible ing here seem to have embraced the ories. “Five or six years ago I start- visited Helsinki. Leisure travellers foreign travellers came to Finland are shown, with half having English tournament like it has been all over ed learning about memory training made up 49 per cent of all visitors, last year than in previous years, the commentary. the world, and going to a bar to watch and incorporated it into my mag- while those on business amount- number of nights spent in Helsinki The fact that New Zealand and a match has a different feeling that ic shows,” he says. “I would go out ed to 46 per cent. Finnish and for- accommodation by Finnish tourists Australia both qualifi ed for the fi nals being at home. “People come for the in the audience and memorise the eign travellers from outside the has grown consistently since sum- this year was good news for an An- atmosphere,” explains Visser, “and I names of 30 or 40 people.” capital region visited Helsinki a to- mer 2007. Last summer alone, one in tipodean-centred watering hole. “I’m think we’ll notice further increases His memory may seem amazing tal 20 million times. The most pop- four Finns visited the capital. a Kiwi myself,” Visser explains, “and in sales when the later stages of the to the average person, but Vannas is ular destinations were Linnanmäki, “We want to encourage Finnish I think the game against Italy where tournament come around. The World humble. “We all have this ability,” he Suomenlinna, Korkeasaari, Temp- tourists to stay longer,” says Katrile- we drew against the world champi- Cup seems to have brought people says. “If we forget something it is be- peliaukio Church, and Uspenski na Eklöf, Tourist Director of the City ons was a turning point.” together, even here, and even those cause we either didn’t set the infor- Cathedral. of Helsinki. Just up the road from the Aussie people who don’t normally like foot- mation in our brains properly or else Finnish tourists stayed in Hel- Bar is Elmo Sports & Grill where some ball have joined the jamboree.” we don’t know how to retrieve it.” sinki accommodations for an aver- Read more about tourism in Hel- kind of sport is continuously shown age 1.5 days, while foreign tourists sinki on page 4 and get to know on the screens. Proprietor Tomi Kari The football World Cup continues Learn how to improve your memo- stayed for over two days. Tourism the city as a travel destination on is very enthusiastic about the current until 11 July. ry on page 9. brought the city’s accommodation pages 11-14. 2 24 JUNE – 7 JULY 2010 VIEWPOINT HELSINKI TIMES Dr. Antti Roine is a Senior Technology Adviser in Outotec Research Oy. His specialities are process models and physi- cal chemistry.