by Max Barry

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Region: Commonwealth of Liberty

WHAT IS FINNISHNESS? THE STANDING OF THE FINNISH NATION IN 2024

    A LAND OF ICE, SNOW, AND WOOD IN THE MODERN WORLD
    FINLAND—AUTUMN 2024

Finnish nationhood has seen a winding evolution since the Finnish people declared independence from the Russian Empire in the winter of 1917. Finns have seen ideological, political, and military wars fought through their country for over a century. However, in the long peace of the modern day, a proud, starkly unique people have emerged from a trying history. The Finland of the twenty-first century is one of a rich cultural and social life. Public stipends to creative minds have fostered a rich atmosphere of art, music, and architecture. Technological firms draw on the talent of a highly literate populace that passed through a leading education system known as a global benchmark. The Finnish language has developed a culture of literature in the era of the Republic that has won Nobel Prizes and captivated the world. Finland is a proud country, and Finnishness is a proud trait. A variant of the looped square, a centuries-old symbol of Finnish culture, was emblazoned on the Finnish flag in 2023 in a gesture that only placed more emphasis on the endurance of Finnishness.

The political climate of Finland clearly reflects the people of the Republic. A strong conservative coalition is balanced against an outspoken liberal opposition—both sets of parties work in a chaotically harmonious way that embodies the push and pull of tradition and progress that has always defined Finland. What is Finnishness, then? In the words of President Kai Mykkänen, it is the “enlightening realization that Finland is sustained only on the healthy survival of its traditions and simultaneous espousal of new ideas.” It is the coexistence of heritage and forward movement—of conservatism and liberalism—in the name of a country that has only known a century of freestanding life, determined to preserve its autonomy, expand its influence, and better the happiness of all Finns within.

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