Last week the Finnish Prime Minister, Alexander Stubb, raised eyebrows with his suggestion that Apple killed the country’s economy with the iPhone putting Nokia out of business and the iPad reducing global demand for paper.
The real reason for Finland’s immediate problems is a lack of diversity; any country dependent upon one or two businesses or industries is going to be vulnerable should markets move against them.
In the longer term though the problems facing Finland are similar to those across the western world; an aging population, shrinking workforce and tepid export markets.
Finland’s real problems are our problems. How the Nordic nation deals with them will provide some valuable lessons to us all.