Nordic Region
Minister of Labour Lauri Ihalainen: Improved competence will safeguard Finland’s future
Finland’s new government has ambitious goals for improving people’s level of competence. Finns will handle structural changes and future challenges better through improved education and adult training.
Iceland’s road to recovery
Iceland has managed surprisingly well after the economic collapse of autumn 2008. Iceland’s government and the International Monetary Fund has staged a conference on Iceland’s road to recovery in Reykjavik.
Sweden’s Minister for Nordic Coordination Ewa Björling has a soft spot for mines
“We want to do something for the mining industry. There has never been Nordic cooperation in that field. Right now there’s a Klondike situation for mining in Sweden, Norway and Finland. If you include Greenland there’s a great Danish interest too,” says Ewa Björling, Sweden’s Minister for Nordic Cooperation.
Editorial: Equality means sustainability
Economic crisis, political earthquakes and unprecedented terror in the midst of the Nordic region. It has all impacted the Nordic countries. “Crisis test the strength of the Nordic welfare models” is this month’s Theme. One important question pops up: must the welfare models be adapted to avoid growing differences within the countries?
Equality driver of Iceland’s success
Higher taxes for those who have the most, protection of the poor and debt relief to businesses and households - all part of the recipe to get a bankrupt state back on track according to the Icelandic experience. You also need a proper post-party tidy-up, get the economy in balance and prevent criminal activity from repeating itself.
An election coloured by crisis
Which politicians can best guide Denmark through the current economic crisis, where more and more Danes fear going bust or end up unemployed? That is the deciding question in the Danish elections this month.
Populists govern in opposition
Support for Finland’s populist True Finns Party has grown after the spring parliamentary elections. It means the new government is forced to take into account the factors behind the party’s growth, and first and foremost their demand for more expansive social policies to support the weakest in society.
Editorial: A common Nordic labour market but not common public goods
What would happen in the Øresund region if 20 to 30,000 commuters across the bridge between Sweden and Denmark decided it was time to take action?
Ole Norrback: Border obstacles are all about political will
While Nordic politicians talk about the challenges of globalisation and how to turn the Nordic region into a dynamic region of growth, new border obstacles emerge to complicate lives of citizens and businesses alike.
The ten most serious border obstacles
Border obstacles are not only things that make it difficult for Nordic citizens to settle down and work in a different Nordic country from their own. They are also problems which arise when you move back home, when you fall ill or when you need to draw your pension. NLJ and the Freedom of Movement Forum have drawn up a list of the ten most important border obstacles for working life.
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