Beneficial to society, a joy to people. Anu Vehviläinen becomes Blic’s new senior advisor.

Blic’s new senior advisor, Anu Vehviläinen, envisions the Finland of 2100 in her blog. She believes that politics should look ahead to the time when today’s children will live. Not everything was better in the past, as a nation that cannot renew itself will not succeed. Finland should be like this: a reform-minded, successful nation now and in the future.

After leaving the Parliament at the end of the previous government term, I have been reflecting on my role in society. I want to be beneficial to society, a joy to people. I believe that the extensive experience I have gained over 24 years in Parliament should still be put to use for society. Not all knowledge resides in the heads of decision-makers or ministries. We must ensure together that lawmakers and legislators continuously receive the quality and targeted additional information they need. An interactive civil society includes considering different perspectives. It is important to ensure that interest groups, from the business sector to organizations, can influence the future of our society.

In recent years, economic and security issues have dominated societal discussions. They are, of course, the cornerstones of state operations and sovereignty, but they do not create a vision for Finland. Competitiveness, business growth, and stable capital are the driving forces of society, upon which a vision of a successful Finland must be built. At the core of the vision should be people, as the vision is for us, the people.

I am concerned about the deepening segregation of our nation. A person who is not attached to society, does not care about the rules of society. We live in an age of pluralism, where the role of an interactive civil society should be emphasised. The idea of us and them is not the way forward; we and they must be able to discuss, share information and compromise - only then can we create a shared vision of a successful Finland.

When I think about what life will be like when today’s babies have grown up and the century has turned, I think about the big picture and concrete details. I know my roots and consider the best interests of all of Finland; for people to live where they feel at home, the functionality of routes and logistics is of paramount importance. This is required by both public services and the business sector, and at the center of all this is the ordinary citizen. Finland must continue to invest in a culture of experimentation and be a driver of new innovations. Reforms and a reform-minded attitude do not arise without quality and precise information. I want to bring my expertise to promote the common good, so that Finnish decision-making dares to innovate boldly and create visions far into the future.

Anu Vehviläinen

Senior Advisor