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Westman, Johanna
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5 articles of this author have been cited in the European Press Review so far.
A new language law in Sweden
Johanna Westman comments on the debate about a new law in Sweden aimed at protecting the Swedish language against English-creep: "Languages change; this is a fact that isn't necessarily negative. ... Finnish-Swedish is constantly exposed to the influence of Finnish, but at the same time Finnish-Swedes living in Sweden are often complimented on their good and well-spoken Swedish. This can be attributed to the fact that there is a comparatively high degree of awareness about language in Finland. This, in turn, could be a result of the bilingualism which is part of our everyday life here."
» full article (external link, Swedish)
More from the press review on the subject » Public Culture, » Cultural Policy, » Minorities, » Finland, » Sweden
Pisa winner Finland wants to do even better
Once again Finland occupied a top position in the Pisa study. Johanna Westman reflects on how the country can maintain its ranking: "One of the weak points is the great gap between boys and girls. In addition, one in ten of Finland's 15-year-olds is unhappy at school - that's twice as many as in Sweden. This minority manages to struggle on, but it lacks motivation, and this is a serious shortcoming in a society in which life-long learning is a prerequisite for a successful career. ... What's more, Finland could drop behind if immigration increases and more children of foreign extraction enter its primary schools, approaching conditions in Sweden or Denmark. If primary schools are unprepared, Finland's performance could suffer dramatically."
» full article (external link, Swedish)
More from the press review on the subject » Finland, » Denmark, » Sweden
Finland's nurses rebel
Following a breakdown in negotiations on the part of their union, tens of thousands of Finnish nurses are threatening to hand in their notice in a bid to crank up pressure on their local employers. In addition to the general salary raise, they want their salaries to be brought in line with those in comparable professions. The government is now considering forcing the employees to work to prevent the health system from collapsing. Johanna Westman comments: "The local authorities had declared their intention of retaining responsibility for the public health system. ... But if mass resignations do go into effect, the health system could suffer permanent damage. And despite all the conspiracy theories it's not true that the government is deliberately stalling. The calculated dismantling of the welfare state would be bad enough, and uncontrolled progress in this direction is the worst that could happen to us."
» full article (external link, Swedish)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Finland
Finns successfully oppose higher power costs
Fortum, the Finnish power company, has withdrawn a price hike for electricity after intense protest among the Finns. The will of the people, when sufficiently roused, can move mountains - even if the mountain is a market listed company, crows Johanna Westman. "This u-turn is a reaction to the massive exodus of customers. It's an interpretation confirmed by the fact that other energy companies are following suit, forgoing price increases. The furious customers have not forgotten Fortum's promises, and have forced the company to back down. For the electricity market to function optimally, price-conscious consumers, angry or not, must regularly seek cheaper alternatives."
» full article (external link, Swedish)
More from the press review on the subject » Energy, » Corporations, » Consumers, » Finland
Aki Kaurismäki refuses Oscar nomination again
The Finnish film director, Aki Kaurismäki, has forbidden his country from entering his film "Lights in the Dusk", currently showing in European cinemas, as a candidate for the Oscar for foreign films. Johanna Westman recalls that in 2003 Kaurismäki refused to attend the Oscar awards ceremony because of the war in Iraq. "This is the second time the Finnish nomination committee has entered a candidate who doesn't want to take part. This means the Finns won't be represented at the 2007 Oscar gala, and that's a pity. But Kaurismäki's decision is a courageous one. Kaurismäki is the best Finland's film industry has to offer and if he doesn't want to take part in the Hollywood glamour party we won't send a second-best replacement. I'm sure this will make an impression somewhere."
» full article (external link, Swedish)
More from the press review on the subject » Security Policy / Crises / War, » Film, » Finland, » U.S.
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