Replying to Corruption in Finland

For years on end, many organizations studying the transparency of government and corporations around the world, Finland has been ranked in the top of the less corrupt countries. The thing is, we don't actually have any corruption here at all. Nothing. But instead, we have "Good Brother" scenarios.

No one knows where or when the whole phenomenon actually began, but it's basically good old corruption in the form of bribes, insider trading or secret deals favoring a small group of people in power. Everyone knows about it, but nothing has been done to solve the issue and fight the image of a non-corrupt country as we have a lot of fucked up things going on in our administration and government-owned companies and institutions and these fucks are always getting away with it.


Finnair, an airline which of the gov owns 66%, subjected their lower staff to a massive paycut and layoffs of in 2009, worth 23 million Euros, while promising their fifteen-headed Board of Executives a bonus of 300,000 a pop for staying along until February 2012. The day came, the money was paid, and eight of the members bolted, smiling on their way to the bank and positions in other high-profile companies.

VR, the railway company owned by the government and running a monopoly and barring entry from any competition, has layed off hundreds of people and subjected staff to massive paycuts over the last two years while purchasing new locomotives that don't withstand Finnish winter conditions, causing VR's operational stability and profitability to plummet. At the same time, the Top 50 leaders of VR devised a reward system that grants only them huge bonuses simply by selling property and shutting down operations around Finland, not to mention the purchase of property or housing to be used for VR leader's expensive vacations and retreats.

Patria, a military systems equipment developer and provider, which the gov owns 73%, bribed Slovenian and Croatian military representatives to buy 30 AMV vehicles for the amount of 280 and 112 million Euros, giving the officials in charge of the sale massive bonuses, stock options and extra weight in the company. This case was found out and is still in courts after four years with everyone in Patria denying any foul play. The outcome, with high probability, will be no prosecutions, just corporate fines.

Ilmarinen, a pension insurance company owned by the government, has been buying apartments, houses and properties for and from its board members or their close friends with tax payer money over the past few years, probably a lot longer as the case unfolds. Insider trading, closed "auctions" and properties being bought and sold either over or under the market prices to the members' benefit, giving them massive profits or ownership of high-end housing.


This year is the year when the walls come down. People have known the truth for so, so long, but overall Finnish apathy and numb-mindedness when it comes to government rule, thinking that "they know what they're doing" is starting to come to an end as the younger generations are filling up seats of the existing "Good Brother" clubs, realizing that this won't fly any longer. Good Brother deals, where any words of corruption or foul play are sweeped under the mat, instead embraced as friendly, "understanding" handshakes and nods in luxurious saunas all over Finland over a few shots of Finlandia Vodka.


Finland is as full of corruption on a high, government level and the transparency organizations refuse to accept these facts at play. Maybe they are Good Brothers as well...