"You are talking about people who have been actively fighting with Turkey for more that 40 years and killing tens of thousands of civilians in the process," Muhammet Kocak, an international relations specialist based in Ankara, told CNBC. So while 3.9% of people in the Nordic region may report scores so low they are classed as "suffering" - that level is as high as 26.9% in Russia and 17% in France. Now, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has the power to determine the future of the NATO alliance and its power and size in the face of Russia's war. Both countries switched from formal neutrality to military non-alignment in 1995 when they joined the EU. 1. The typical Dane is usually seen as a slightly decadent hedonist, with a can of beer never far from reach. Scandinavian jokes featuring "the Swede, the Dane and the Norwegian" are commonplace in schools. to learn more about Scandinavian culture. The dignity and resolve of the Norwegian people in the wake of the attacks by Anders Behring Breivik in July 2011 was deeply impressive, but in September the rightwing, anti-Islamist Progress party of which Breivik had been an active member for many years won 16.3% of the vote in the general election, enough to elevate it into coalition government for the first time in its history. However, they shared one monarch and had a single foreign policy run by the Swedish Ministry of Foreign . True, they claim to be the happiest people in the world, but why no mention of the fact they are second only to Iceland when it comes to consuming anti- depressants? It will be BBC Radio 4's Book of the Week from 10 February. Unlike Sweden, Finland has adopted a so-called "NATO option" provision, which means that "if Finland's security requires it, Finland has the opportunity to apply for membership," Prime Minister Sanna Marin said. Competitive spirits are often the product of particular values that are held individually. If only I had a penny everyone time someone from my country cried about tar or cudgel war well I wouldn't be rich but I could easily afford a cup of coffee. A spokesman for the Sweden Democrats (currently at an all-time high of close to 10% in the polls) insisted to me that immigrants were "more prone to violence". The United States is ratcheting up national security concerns about TikTok, mandating that all federal employees delete the Chinese-owned social media app from government-issued mobile phones. Turkey says Sweden has supported members of the Kurdish Workers' Party, or the PKK. Having an arrogant and failed policy on Corona, Being extremly far left politically for many years, etc. After decades dreaming of life among olive trees and vineyards, these days for some reason, we Brits are now projecting our need for the existence of an earthly paradise northwards. Various Kurdish groups have pushed for Kurdish autonomy and statehood over the decades, some peacefully and some, like the PKK, through violence. Competitors, though driven and passionate about their sport, are often friendly with one another before and after games and events. Nonaligned up until now, Finland and Sweden last weekend announced plans to abandon that position and join NATO in the wake of Russia's bloody invasion of Ukraine. Finlands concerns have been largely practical: it shares an 810-mile (1,300km) border with Russia, declared independence in 1917 after more than a century of rule by Moscow, and its army twice fought off Soviet forces during the second world war before ceding about 10% of its territory. In Denmark, 18.3% of people aged 16 to 24 said they suffered from poor mental health - with the number rising to 23.8% for women in that age bracket. Many analysts believe the two countries will apply simultaneously. Their big new drama series, Arvingerne (The Legacy, when it comes to BBC4 later this year) is stunning, but the reality of prime-time Danish TV is day-to-day, wall-to-wall reruns of 15-year-old episodes of Midsomer Murders and documentaries on pig welfare. What's he waiting for? Video, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story, The researchers behind In the Shadow of Happiness looked at data collected across five years, Time, not material goods, 'raises happiness', one of the report's authors, Michael Birkjaer, told the Guardian newspaper. Photograph: Alamy. He blames Nato for blocking his takeover of Ukraine and has demanded Nato troops be withdrawn from eastern Europe. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Read about our approach to external linking. [5]. The facts this relationship lies on are the long common history of domination by Sweden. A minor linguistic error has also been corrected. But this does not mean that they are all too chummy either. [1]. However, what is often overlooked is that in addition to their raids against foreign people in faraway places like the British Isles and France, the Vikings also waged war against each other. It could be economic as well. Effectively a one-party state albeit supported by a couple of shadowy industrialist families for much of the 20th century, "neutral" Sweden (one of the world largest arms exporters) continues to thrive economically thanks to its distinctive brand of totalitarian modernism, which curbs freedoms, suppresses dissent in the name of consensus, and seems hell-bent on severing the bonds between wife and husband, children and parents, and elderly on their children. Sweden has a long history of taking in Kurdish refugees and asylum seekers, particularly political refugees. It came as Russia's invasion of Ukraine intensified today after a night of . It has reintroduced conscription and boosted defence spending since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, but many on the Swedish left remain suspicious of the US-led Natos agenda and argue that Nato membership will only increase regional tensions. Ethnic minorities living in Nordic countries were less happy, Very religious people were more likely to be happier, No difference was found between people living in the country and those in cities. Whether it is Denmark's happiness, its restaurants, or TV dramas; Sweden's gender equality, crime novels and retail giants; Finland's schools; Norway's oil wealth and weird songs about foxes; or Iceland's bounce-back from the financial abyss, we have an insatiable appetite for positive Nordic news stories. Eighteen Republican lawmakers voted against the US allowing Finland and Sweden to join NATO. Is Denmark and the Netherlands the Same Country? Swedens ruling Social Democrats have been split on the issue and are holding an internal consultation, with a decision also due on Sunday. So, yes, I do think culture matters a great deal to understanding why countries like Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden score high on this particular indicator of happiness. Turkey says Sweden and Finland have ties with "terrorist" groups a reference to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and the People's Protection Units (YPG). The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation is a defensive military alliance formed in 1949 by 12 countries including the US, UK and France to counter the threat of postwar Soviet Russian expansion in Europe. And Sweden? Everyone understands that Finland is not Russian, despite being part of the Russian Empire for 108 years. The view was a bit samey. Norwegians, Swedes, and Danes all get along very well. Perceived tension may be due to competition and rivalry that is not hate-based. Stockholm also politically and financially supports the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), the political wing of the SDF, a Kurdish-led militia group created with support from the U.S. to fight ISIS in Syria. I hear you say. Not the NATO member that is literally illegally invading and attacking other countries to feel better about themselves and to please daddy America. With its tarnished crown jewel, Nokia, devoured by Microsoft, Finland's hitherto robust economy is more dependent than ever on selling paper mostly I was told, to Russian porn barons. Will Ferrell hates Norway because They sell way more electric cars per capita than the United States. These countries have a shared history, and like many other places in the world, they have experienced periods of unity and disunity. to learn more. Sweden, however, remained the regional outlier for more than a century. This level only worsened in the age bracket of 80 or above - a group more affected by issues like illness. 3: UK Vs Argentina. For the past few years the world has been in thrall to all things Nordic (for which purpose we must of course add Iceland and Finland to the Viking nations of Denmark, Norway and Sweden). A Division of NBCUniversal. Finland ranks third in global gun ownership behind only America and Yemen; has the highest murder rate in western Europe, double that of the UK; and by far the highest suicide rate in the Nordic countries. Somehow, though, the government still managed to find 2m to fund a two-year tax-scandal investigation largely concerned, as far as I can make out, with the sexual orientation of the prime minister's husband, Stephen Kinnock. Enough of the unblinking idolatry of all things knitted, bearded, rye bread-based and licorice-laced. Youth unemployment is higher than the UK's and higher than the EU average; integration is an ongoing challenge; and as with Norway and Denmark, the Swedish right is on the rise. Why do Sweden and Finland have a bitter relationship? Everyone is just having fun, friendly bullying. If Scandinavia was the Weasley family, Sweden would be Percy. Denmark is becoming a nation divided, essentially, between the places which have a branch of Sticks'n'Sushi (Copenhagen) and the rest. Is this true? Since the Treaty of Copenhagen, there havent been significant problems between the three Scandinavian countries that have reached the extremes of military conflict. Sweden and Finland's historic bids to become NATO members have hit a roadblock after top Turkish officials took a tough stance against a Nordic expansion of the transatlantic . Even ahead of the US. From the 10th to 13th century A.D., Norway, Sweden, and Denmark were united though they were three separate kingdoms. Ankara says that the SDC is dominated by PKK terrorists. Other awkward truths? The NATO average was estimated at 1.6% last year. Enough with the impractical minimalist interiors. Most people are really in denial.". To drive from Kristiansand in Southern Norway to Kirkenes in the far northeast would take an estimated 38 hours of non-stop driving sticking to Norwegian roads. It was part of Sweden for 600 years, and the cultures are similar, a minority of Finns speak Swedish, surely they are Swedish? So you know, only we can criticize each other, and if other countries try it, they need to shut up. And while previous governments have controlled the spending of oil revenues, the new bunch are threatening a splurge which many warn could lead to full-blown Dutch disease. There is no true animosity between these two former enemies today, which is a testament to the high standard of civility cultivated throughout Scandinavia in the modern era. These societies function well for those who conform to the collective median, but they aren't much fun for tall poppies. In a joint letter to member nations last week, Finland and Sweden brought up Article 42.7 of the European Union's founding Lisbon Treaty which obligates other members to "aid and assist by . As Norwegian anthropologist Thomas Hylland Eriksen put it to me when I visited his office in Oslo University: "We've always been used to thinking of ourselves as part of the solution, and with the oil we suddenly became part of the problem. The Finns are epic Friday-night bingers and alcohol is now the leading cause of death for Finnish men. There were times when each sought to obliterate the other and forever erase them from the face of the earth. Presumably the correlative of this is that Denmark has the best public services? Plus, if you are planning on having children here, parents here get 480 days of paid parental leave so share between them! Danes in Copenhagen hate it when drunk teenage Swedes from neighboring Malm invade the streets of their city (the legal drinking age is lower in Denmark, 16, than in Sweden, 18). The reasons why are complicated, emotional and steeped in decades ofoftenviolent history. Later, in 1523, Sweden left the alliance, which resulted in increased tension among the Scandinavian nations. In fact, Sweden was one of the first countries to designate the group as a terrorist organization in 1984. The current state of relations between Denmark and Sweden is at times nebulous, and at other times complex. Putin has demanded that NATO stop expanding and in his May 9 speech blamed the West for the war. Btw, there was a similar thread in r/Nordiccountries recently: r/Nordiccountries/comments/jqwqxt/why_do_nordic_countries_citizens_seem_to_dislike/. The Danes of course also have highest taxes in the world (though only the sixth-highest wages hence the debt, I guess). Finland and Sweden formally applied to join NATO on Wednesday at Allied headquarters in Brussels, driven by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The people who live in neighboring countries around the world, like in Scandinavia, often have many similarities. In fact, as far as recorded history goes, no two countries have gone to war against each other more often than Denmark and Sweden. It operates mostly in southeastern Turkey and parts of northern Iraq. She worked for the tourist board. In his book Petromania, journalist Simon Stre warns that the powerful oil lobby is "isolating us and making the country asocial". EDIT: Don't you just love it when your first post on a subreddit gets on trending? I pointed out that Sweden was one of the most bloodthirsty nations on earth for much of the last millennium. Anything I say about the Swedes will pale in comparison to their own excoriating self-image. Collectively, Norwegians dont hate Swedes and Danes. The Swedes are, he says, "highly adept at insulating themselves from each other". For a period stretching over a century (although not continuously), the kingdoms of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, were once unified under a single ruler. Don't worry man, nobody hates Sweden, it's just sibling rivalry. While such competitive Scandinavians may cross a line at a given time, like a Dane who shouts negative comments to a Swede during a hockey game, collectively the competitive spirits of Scandinavians dont result in harmful outcomes. (The other day, I turned up at my local A&E to be told that I had to make an appointment, which I can't help feeling rather misunderstands the nature of the service.) The PKK, which seeks greater . Those offshore windmills may look impressive as you land at Kastrup, but Denmark burns an awful lot of coal. Why do the Danes score so highly on international happiness surveys? Still, NATO may face gridlock for some time if Erdogan is not satisfied with Sweden and Finland's responses to his demands. VideoAt the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Covid origin likely China lab incident - FBI chief, Ukraine war casts shadow over India's G20 ambitions, Blackpink lead top stars back on the road in Asia, India anti-corruption crusader fighting to clear his name, Exploring the rigging claims in Nigeria's elections, 'Wales is in England' gaffe sparks TikToker's trip, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. Further attention will only encourage them. Some Swedes are deeply offended at the joke; some laugh and agree. Countries all around the world have different traditions and attitudes when it comes to receiving visitors and welcoming people who have relocated to their homeland. DeSantis won't say he's running. Why did Sweden and Norway Break Up? We need not detain ourselves here too long. Swedes working in Norway are popular with customers, employers and workmates alike, alm. Another way to look at it is sibling rivalry and family feuds. What began as a seemingly harmless comment regarding home dcor devolved into a heated exchange of increasingly hostile tweets between the Danes and their Swedish counterparts: Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed, and the hurling of insults came to an end. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images, Finns having a quiet drink Photograph: Martti Kainulainen/REX, A car burning after riots in Stockholm in 2013. Sweden's foreign ministry declined to comment on Erdogan's accusations when contacted by CNBC. As far back as anyone can remember relations between them have been what can only be described as "pretty bloody awful". I am very fond of the Finns, a most pragmatic, redoubtable people with a Sahara-dry sense of humour. Back in Spring, as the number of infections skyrocketed around the world, the Finnish government reacted promptly and imposed a two-month long lockdown. One common stereotype about people from Sweden and Denmark is that they drink a lot of alcohol. In fact, Erdogan has already blocked an early attempt by NATO to fast-track Finland and Sweden's applications, saying their membership would make the alliance "a place where representatives of terrorist organizations are concentrated.". So why do Norwegians hate Swedes and Danes? Its postwar foreign policy has focused on multilateral dialogue and nuclear disarmament and it has long seen itself as a mediator on the international stage, running down its military after the end of the cold war. If you do decide to move there, don't expect scintillating conversation. Christian started Scandinavia Facts to explore his family heritage, raise awareness of one of his academic interests as a professor, and civilly promote the region. Thank you for visiting Scandinavia Facts. It asked people to mark their satisfaction with life out of 10 - with people above a seven categorised as thriving, fives and sixes as struggling and anyone scoring below a four deemed to be suffering. In 2021, Sweden's government announced an increase in funding for Kurdish groups in Syria to $376 million by 2023, saying it remained an "active partner" to Syria's Kurds and that its funds were aimed at "strengthening resilience, human security and freedom from violence" and improving "human rights, gender equality and democratic development.". The Almost Nearly Perfect People The Truth About the Nordic Miracle (Jonathan Cape), by Michael Booth, is published on 6 February. People in other countries prefer to shake hands. The current state of relations between Denmark and . I think a lot of the reason Sweden being targetted by its neighbours can be attributed to simple facts: Sweden being the immediate Nordic neighbour of Denmark/Norway/Finland, Sweden being the largest country in the Nordics. which ranked as the happiest world country in 2018, Prince Andrew offered Frogmore Cottage - reports, Ed Sheeran says wife developed tumour in pregnancy, Bieber cancels remaining Justice world tour dates, China and Belarus call for peace in Ukraine, Trump lashes out at Murdoch over vote fraud case, Man survives 31 days in jungle by eating worms, Eli Lilly caps monthly insulin costs in US at $35. Very well between the three Scandinavian countries that have reached the extremes of military conflict parts of northern.... Experienced periods of unity and disunity, there havent been significant problems between the Scandinavian! Isolating US and making the country asocial '' military non-alignment in 1995 when they joined EU... 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