2012-02-02 Guardian Saarikosket:Finland's left has become a victim of its own su

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Finland's left has become a victim of its own success
The Social Democrats' welfare policies enjoy such support that even Finland's conservatives don't dare to dismantle them
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Laura Saarikoski and Saska Saarikoski

guardian.co.uk, Thursday 2 February 2012 11.08 GMT
Article history

Finland's Green party presidential candidate Pekka Haavisto (right) and his partner Nexar Antonio Flores. Photograph: Kimmo Mantyla/AP

The frontrunner: a conservative who saved himself in the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami by hanging from a pylon. The challenger: a gay environmentalist who has made his name by talking peace to Somali rebels. One of them will be elected the next president of Finland on Sunday. But whether it is conservative Sauli Niinistö or Green party candidate Pekka Haavisto who moves into the modest presidential palace at Helsinki harbour, this election marks the end of the 30-year social democrat tenure.

As the two winners were celebrating their first-round success in January, the social democratic candidate Paavo Lipponen was giving a lacklustre speech to small flock of party faithful. His dreadful 7% of the popular vote was a bitter end to the career of a former prime minister and one of the leading European Social Democrats of his generation.

In his farewell speech Lipponen, 69, said he would give way to the young. This is a tough challenge in a party where the average age of members (a figure that used to be guarded like a state secret) is now well over 60. The future of the old ruling party looks bleak. This is not because the Social Democrats have failed, but rather because their ideas have succeeded so well.

Finland is one of those Nordic success stories where a strong economy comes with a relatively fair society. In the past couple of years, Finland has been at the top of charts for best schools in the world, income and gender equality, quality of life and the lowest levels of corruption. In 2010 Newsweek chose Finland as "the best country in the world".

These achievements can be largely credited to Social Democrats and their welfare state policies. They enjoy such support that even the conservatives don't dare to dismantle the system of free schools and universities, state-funded healthcare or benefits for the poorest. When talking about the crisis of the Finnish left, it should be remembered that their conservatives are way to the left of Britain's Tories. In a country where even the conservatives have labelled themselves "a labour party", what is the left needed for?

Furthermore, the Social Democrats have been unable to solve the dilemma between a national labour force and international markets. As Finnish industries have moved their operations into cheap labour countries, the Social Democrats have whined and cried but have been unable to offer credible alternatives.

In particular many young people are disillusioned with the Social Democrats whom they see as 1960s radicals turned into advocates of vested interests. With a support base of labour unions and pensioners, it's not easy to introduce innovative new policies.
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http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/feb/02/finland-left-legacy-social-democrats

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