Crowded multi-party system � there are nine main parties, six in government, three in opposition � can be unstable or unwieldy. Al- though arguably Finland is an exception to the rule, the existence of majority and minority communities divided by language (in this case Finnish and Swedish) has often been problematic and a source of communal tension in other countries (eg Belgium, Ukraine). ...threats Although there are presently few risks to the internal cohesion of the new coalition government, disagreement over the country s future energy policy and relationship with the eU could be a potential cause of friction. BMi political risk ratings While Finland s consensus-based political landscape appears to be intact for the time being, we believe that elevated risks arising from political extremity are likely to become more salient in line with Finland s deteriorating relationship with the eurozone. While we anticipate the centre-ground to dominate for the time being, we see increasing risks from political parties such as the True Finns/the Finns. ...While we anticipate the centre-ground to dominate for the time being, we see increasing risks from political parties such as the True Finns/the Finns. Chapter -: political outlook s-t political rank trend norway --.- - = Switzerland --.- - = denmark --.- - = canada --.- - = Austria --.- - = sweden --.- - =
...The persistently high unemployment rate, currently at just under -- of the economically active population, is a concern. The openness of the economy leaves it vulnerable to changes in the economic climate of key trading partners. ...With a world-class educa- tion system (Finnish students topped the ranking in the oeCD s Pisa survey of -- countries in ----) the country is well placed to develop the knowledge economy. threats Despite Finland s comparative advantage in some areas, the country s position may be undermined by globalisation and the emergence of lower-wage manufacturing offers from emerging economies such as China. The economy is also vulnerable to any slowdown among its eU and Scandinavian trading partners, and to the inflationary effects of high oil prices. ...Furthermore, we believe the risks to our growth forecasts remain weighted to the downside, as the global growth trajec- tory remains weak. Chapter -: economic outlook s-t economy rank trend norway --.- - = Switzerland --.- - = sweden --.- - + canada --.- - =
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