Finland in the World Media Ministry for Foreign Affairs review of 2018 According to a UN report, Finland is the happiest country in the world. The high standard of living is the result of modern healthcare and social support. – LITHUANIA Finland's overall rating In 2018, Finland's reputation in the world media continued 2018 to improve, surpassing 4 4.07 for the first time on a scale from 1–5. 2017 3.96 2016 3.88 Finland – the happiest country in the world! According to the World Happiness Report, Finland became the happiest country in the world, and this prompted newspapers and magazines to explore the reasons for the northern happiness [...]. The tongue-in-cheek reasons included nature, sauna, equality, coffee, sisu, financial stability, kalsarikännit ("pantsdrunk") and brotherlike competition (Finns are at their happiest when they beat Sweden at ice hockey). – AUSTRIA Finland has received the reputation of being the happiest and safest place on Earth, a title that has echoed throughout media coverage this year as Australians plan their trips abroad. – AUSTRALIA In 2018, education and the #HELSINKI2018 summit were the most talked topics in the world media 2018 2017 2016 education Finland 100 Basic income pilot well-being Helsinki Markkanen independence Freedom of Speech Santa Claus Niinistö Stubb design Education system equality tourism Sipilä NATO Defence cooperation PISA the happiest country in the world Slush culture Lonely Planet Paasilinna architecture Helsinki sauna Energy and food Nokia raking Räikkönen Bottas Sauna cleantech kalsarikännit Santa Claus Slush technology Asylum seekers Lapland Niinistö education Soldiers of Odin football Sea of the Baltic Safety Saariaho heavy metal heavy Moomins of Finland Tom Sibelius Maternity package basic income Oodi Kaurismäki startup government crisis Nokia immigration sauna arctic Trump-Putin terror attack terror circular economy Santa Claus Northern Lights basic income presidential election presidential The Trump-Putin meeting (#HELSINKI2018) strengthened Finland's reputation as an international facilitator Finland was very visible in the United States during In its role as organiser of the Trump-Putin summit meeting, Finland the second half of 2018, thanks to the Trump-Putin received a lot of visibility in the Danish media. Finland was referred to meeting in Helsinki [...]. Not only did the Trump-Putin as an experienced summit host. The news said, among other things, meeting bring a huge number of important TV that Finns were proud to be hosting yet another summit. Finland's role broadcasters to Helsinki, but the outcome of the as an international facilitator was seen to have been strengthened by meeting also kept Helsinki in the minds of both the summit. – DENMARK journalists and the public for months. – UNITED STATES The #HELSINKI2018 summit in July and President of the Republic Sauli Niinistö's visit to Russia in August were the most talked single news events related to international politics and Finland in Russia. Both topics were mainly dealt with in a positive way in the media, and Finland was given a kind of bridge- builder role in improving the tense relations between Russia and the United States. – RUSSIA The Trump-Putin meeting and the growing tourism boosted Helsinki There have clearly been more articles The biggest media topic concerning Finland was the Trump-Putin about Helsinki than before (Amos Rex art meeting in Helsinki in July. The biggest TV-channels broadcast the museum, Oodi library, New Children's most beautiful scenery in Helsinki to American living rooms. CNN, Hospital, Allas Sea Pool), but the city's Fox News, CNBC, ABC and CBS sent live broadcasts during the brand could be modernised. [...] although midnight sun and sunny days. The star broadcasters spotlighted there is a clear increase in trendiness. Helsinki in their live broadcasts. CNN's Anderson Cooper began his – SWEDEN broadcasts several times with: "Welcome to beautiful Helsinki". – UNITED STATES Helsinki is often presented as a destination of culture and design as well as a functional capital, where nature is always present. – MEXICO Finland is increasingly brought up as a world leader in education The success of the Finnish education system is frequently brought up in many news articles. How education system in Finland has evolved and how it affected Finland's development is analysed in many articles. It is also quite frequently used as an example in articles about the Turkish education system. Finnish education experts were invited to Turkey for various events in the past year and their statements are also published by media outlets. – TURKEY Articles and news about the topic were outright glorifying [...] Many local decision makers [...] compared the education systems of Finland and their own country in interviews and news about various meetings, and they wanted to apply features of "the best education system in the world" in their own programmes. The features mentioned included respect for teachers and demanding teacher training, free education, early childhood education based on play and the child's interest as well as break times. Finland was presented as the best country in which to raise and educate children, as well as being the country with the most skilled workforce in the world. – NIGERIA Finland’s Chairmanship of the Arctic Council made the arctic location and expertise visible Considering that the Arctic and Arctic policies are still relatively unknown in Great attention has been paid to the transition of the India, positive developments can be seen to have taken place in 2018 [...]. Chairmanship of the Arctic Council from Finland to There has also been limited interest in the potential future trade routes in Iceland in the spring of 2019. – ICELAND the Arctic [...]. Finland's second, stronger Arctic identity in India is linked to Lapland and winter tourism. – INDIA Finland's Chairmanship of the Arctic Council roused interest in China because China is an observer of the Council and is very interested in using the Arctic region, e.g. the Northeast Passage, in both its foreign trade and its data links. The possible construction of the Arctic Railway is also a topic of interest in China. – CHINA Finland's Chairmanship was more visible in spring 2017, when Finland took over the Chairmanship of the Arctic Council. In Canada, Finland is known as an Arctic country, which for example carries out tests on intelligent transport systems in Arctic conditions. A story about the Aurora project was published in the spring. – CANADA Finnish equality and equal opportunities are already deeply rooted concepts The Japanese media recognises Finland as an Education that is open for everyone advanced country in terms of gender equality. highlights Finland as a country of equal The Embassy also promoted gender issues by opportunities. During a local training holding a press conference on LGBT/gender event early in the year, there were issues, participating in the Tokyo Rainbow Pride, several news items about how and arranging five interviews when a sex/LGBT education in Finland is public and free education expert from the University and how the few private schools are not of Helsinki came to Tokyo last year. any better than state schools. – JAPAN – ARGENTINA Equality became a topic of debate, The fact that the President of the especially in relation to the decline in Republic's baby was born in a public homelessness. Finland received a lot hospital attracted respect and of attention in the British media as the astonishment in a few articles. only European country where the – NIGERIA number of homeless people has fallen, in contradiction to the general trend. – GREAT BRITAIN Many European countries were still interested in the basic income pilot The basic income pilot attracted Finland's basic income pilot was covered attention in the British media in the Italian media again on several throughout the year. The views occasions throughout the year. In the varied and, especially in the spring, spring, the Five Star Movement (M5S) the pilot was criticised. There were chose the basic income as one of its also many misconceptions about election themes. – ITALY the interruption to and failure of the basic income pilot. On the other hand, several newspapers corrected certain false perceptions. [...] The announcement in April 2018 However, the issue was mainly that Finland would not continue its dealt with by presenting facts and basic income pilot after two years from a number of different was reported quite prominently in perspectives. – GREAT BRITAIN the Belgian press. De Standaard asked if the basic income pilot was already dead and stated that for the participants, the basic income pilot was like "manna from heaven." – LUXEMBOURG President Niinistö's election for a second term was widely reported The presidential elections in January received Sauli Niinistö continued as President some coverage, and Niinistö seemed to have of the Republic of Finland after been an agreeable choice for the Chinese media receiving more than 60 percent of the as he had met Chinese President, Xi Jinping, votes. "Finland's pragmatic President, in the last year of his first term, Sauli Niinistö, who won the voters' which had been widely covered hearts with his ability to build in China. – CHINA relations with both Russia and the West, continues as President of Finland." – LITHUANIA The Finnish presidential election and the re-election of Sauli Niinistö were covered to the usual extent in Sweden. The reach of the various news items in online and social media was about 36 million people. – SWEDEN Alexander Stubb re-emerged in the media spotlight in his campaign for a top job at the European Commission Vice-President of the European -- Alexander Stubb's competition with Investment Bank Alexander Stubb's German politician Manfred Weber bid to become the president of the in the EPP lead candidate election was European Commission was widely widely covered in the media.