In the National Spotlight

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In the National Spotlight

• The Finnish discourse on the
• European union

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Years of Learning
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The main aims of the lecture

• To give a general overview on
• How Finnish MEPs and commissioners are described
  in the Finnish Media
• Why they are described the way they are described
• To give you some ideas to use in your own work.

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The main argument

• There is a specific national or Finnish discourse
  used with reference to the European union.

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Wanderer and his bagSalkku ja reissumies,
Ilta-Sanomat 15.7.1995
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Wanderer and his bagIlta-Sanomat 15.7.1995

• 1) How does an MeP work?
• 2) Construction of nationality, Finnishness.
• "wanderer and his bag"("Reppu ja reissumies")

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Wanderer and his bagIlta-Sanomat 15.7.1995

• "During the midsummer holyday it was very
  difficult to leave the lakeside of Puulavesi and
  to travel by train to the airport and then, by
  plane to Brussels. Honestly speaking, I have to
  say, I skipped the budget committee that was to
  take place on Midsummer Eve."

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Wanderer and his bagIlta-Sanomat 15.7.1995

• "Olli Rehn has been able to keep his grip with
  the Finnish everyday reality. In this task he has
  been helped by Finnish GSM-cellphones, which are
  the subject of envy by other Members of
  Parliament. The ring tone of his cellphone is
  polka of Säkkijärvi." (Säkkijärven polkka)

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Wanderer and his bagIlta-Sanomat 15.7.1995

• 3) Construction of polarization
• Cleaning up the bureaucracy and making
  decision-making process more effective are the
  main aims for Finland.
• - Parliament has counted 22 different ways of
  reaching a decision. However, according to the
  commission there are 27 ways of making decisions.
  These must be cut in number, says Rehn shaking
  his head.

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Commissioner of discipline and order Kurin ja
järjestyksen komissaari, Helsingin Sanomat
29.6.1997

• The Finn
• Erkki Liikanen was returning from his summer
  cottage in Anttola where he was celebrating the
  Midsummers Eve

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Commissioner of discipline and order Helsingin
Sanomat 29.6.1997

• The challenge
• We have a very inflexible legislation concerning
  personnel management. There is a very strong
  French hierarchy, where every paper goes up to
  the top and every one signs them, and there is
  also a very strong German bureuratic tradition.
  In addition there are ten Italian-type civil
  servants unions which are in perpetual state of
  election campaign.

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Commissioner of discipline and order Helsingin
Sanomat 29.6.1997

• The success
• Liikanen has nevertheless begun a great
  administrative reform in the commission he has
  started breaking down the centralized
  administration, where the responsibility is lost
  in the staircases of hierarchy.

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Commissioner of discipline and orderHelsingin
Sanomat 29.6.1997

• The hero
• The commissioner, who likes discipline, order and
  cutting bureaucracy, has already remarkable
  reputation in Brussels. It is said, that he would
  easily pass to the city council if he would so
  want.

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The summary

• The text makes the point that the MEP or the
  commissioner is a real Finn.
• It stresses the fact that the EU is a hopeless
  mess.
• It makes an artificial juxtaposition of
  Finnishness and Europeanness.
• It tries to convince the reader that the Finnish
  commissioner is able to sort things out.

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Years of Learning Oppivuodet, HS monthly
supplement Jan 2005

• Tells a story about the political career of Olli
  Rehn between 1995 2005.

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Years of Learning HS monthly supplement Jan 2005

• The Finn
• At the beginning of August Olli Rehn was on a
  short holyday in his summer cottage in Mikkeli at
  the lakeside of Puulavesi Lake. He was already
  chosen to be commissioner, but there was no
  knowledge of his exact position.
• Rehn was bathing in the lakeside sauna, when
  somebody came to say that Barroso has called.

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Years of Learning HS monthly supplement Jan 2005

• The challenge
• Olli Rehn is the youngest person in the
  commission, only 42 years old, and the rest are
  in average ten years older. There are number of
  former ministers and other politicians, who have
  been in important positions.
• How can a young Finn have his voice heard in a
  group like this?

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Years of Learning HS monthly supplement Jan 2005

• Good language skills.
• Good understanding of the EU institutions.
• Good relationship with the other leading foreign
  policy leaders of Finland.
• He has the trust of mr. Barroso.

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Years of Learning HS monthly supplement Jan 2005

• What are heroes made of?

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Years of Learning HS monthly supplement Jan 2005

• Tells a story of a man with a mission to make
  Finland a European country.
• Makes the emotional case for Olli Rehn.
• Gives a detailed account of setbacks of Rehn.

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Years of Learning HS monthly supplement Jan 2005

• Rehn is talking slowly. The memories are still
  burdensome. You cant help it.
• In the eyes of the Finnish elite I was an
  outcast for a year, but I dont care. It was
  difficult to lose ones faith in the Finnish
  Republic and its capital. At times it felt as if
  there was no other options than to go back to
  Mikkeli or to move permanently abroad.

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Years of Learning HS monthly supplement Jan 2005

• The career of Olli Rehn was at the same point as
  it was ten years earlier when he had advised
  prime minister Esko Aho.
• The independence day in 2003 the Rehn family
  stayed at home watching the celebration of the
  independence day at the presidents official
  reception (Linnan juhlat) on television. They
  didnt belong to the 2000 dignified persons
  invited there.

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Years of Learning HS monthly supplement Jan 2005

• The discourse of hero.

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From a vegan to queenKasvishörhöstä
kuningattareksi, Helsingin Sanomat 20.6.1999

• Heidi Hautala has been hardworking, visible,
  efficient and appreciated representative.

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Olli Rehn wants to renovate the commission.

• Suomen Kuvalehti 9.7.2004

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The Finnish discourse on the EU

• The profile articles try to convey a strong
  feeling of Finnishness by referring to a clear
  set of national symbols.
• The national symbols transcend almost all other
  divisive factors among Finns at least party
  affiliations, perhaps even gender and age.

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The Finnish discourse on the EU

• The articles construct a polarized world view us
  and them Finns and Europeans.
• Research the media stresses the distance between
  Europe and Finland.
• The Finns are seen as being efficient, diligent,
  disciplined. The Europeans are seen as
  inefficient and unable to fix the problems of the
  EU.

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The Finnish discourse on the EU

• The articles do not question the ability of the
  persons in question to influence on the decisions
  made in Brussels. On the contrary, the articles
  try to convince the readers that these are
  exceptionally qualified persons so as to have the
  maximum amount of power.
• The articles use the hero discourse so as to
  convince the reader.
• Research National unity is seen as an especially
  important Finnish value.

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But why?

• There are two basic functions for media.
• The transmission of information.
• The transmission of values, creation of a value
  based community.

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But why?

• There is the community based on shared values.
• There is the threat to these values, the EU.
• And there is the solution that will dispel the
  threat, the Finnish commissioner.

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The main argument

• There is a specific national or Finnish discourse
  used with reference to the European union.
• This national way of speaking about the European
  union limits the real international discussion on
  the European union at a national level.

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The summary and conclusions

• When it comes to commissioners and MEPs there is
  no possibility to have a real analytical
  discussion the polarized world view of us and
  them prevents it.
• The fact that the nation must be united behind
  the commissioner and MeP seriously limits the
  possibility of discussing European policy options.