With a score of 100 out of 100, Finland is the country with the highest freedom index in the world, according to the Freedom House research institute founded in 1941. It outperforms the rest of the Scandinavian countries, Central European countries, Canada, as well as Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Uruguay and the amazing Chile. By obtaining 90 points, Spain obtains an excellent score, tied with Italy, ahead of France by one number and the United States by seven, which is losing momentum year after year in this area of freedom.
The map confirms the current state of the planet depending on where we live. There have been recent additions to the important region, such as South Africa, which joins the four other countries on this continent that have joined this region: Namibia, Botswana, Ghana, and Lesotho. Another country making decent progress is Mongolia. Like crabs, backwards, are Mexico, Serbia and Hungary, the only EU country that has not reached 70 points.
The Freedom Ranking joins similar lists such as the United Nations Human Development Index and the IMD Business School Competitiveness Ranking. In all cases, the usual suspects always come out on top. There have been almost no changes to the top positions in recent years.
We know four things about Finland. Those of us who have visited Lapland in winter have been completely amazed by their ability to adapt to the darkness and dull regime they live with. It is better not to remember the gastronomy and prices. In Finland they created a paper company and another mobile phone company that was a world leader – who doesn't remember Nokia? The most important company in sales is the energy company Fortum. Before Sanna Marin was appointed Prime Minister, no one knew who was ruling the country. Nor do we easily remember who replaced her: it was Pietri Orbo. To be honest, I also don't think that in Finland they automatically know who the head of the Spanish government is.
The clichés tell us about their love of saunas and encourage them to visit thousands of lakes filled with summer mosquitoes. Its most famous classical composer is Jean Sibelius and Eurovision usually sends out hard rock bands. Finland has a complex and tragic history, including submission to Russia. It is, along with Switzerland, the country in the world with the largest number of anti-nuclear shelters, and in recent months, after joining NATO, we have learned how its rearmament policy works. National security is their first priority today.
Finland (and Norway, Denmark, and Sweden) may be the freest, most competitive, and most equal countries in the world, but some of us don't want to live there. All these classifications do not value subjective factors such as social relations, gastronomy, climate, family, entertainment, culture and security in every sense of the word. Sometimes in the western end of Europe, we don't appreciate what we have.
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