Guardians of our national reputation

The reality is quote the reverse: we Finns pay far too little heed to what others think of us. We are arrogant and pathologically self-assured, and we imagine that others admire our northern plot of land as much as we do ourselves. Fortunately the Finnish government has finally understood that it is not possible to get very far with such an attitude. Minister for Foreign Affairs Alexander Stubb appointed a working group last week to think about a Finnish national brand - that is, the image, or reputation of the country. The group of 18 wise persons is chaired by Jorma Ollila, chairman of the boards of both Nokia and Shell.