Tuesday ‘s Magazines: Åland’ s Conscription, Empty Homes and Chinese Electric Cars News
The media is exploring the boundaries of military service, ghost homes and the buzz around electric vehicles.
Chairman of the Finnish Party Riikka Purra said on Monday that residents of Åland should no longer be discharged from military service, according to a Swedish-language newspaper Hufvudstadsbladet (switch to another service). Purra argued that the liberation policy was related to language problems. Åland is mainly a Swedish-speaking area.
Minister of Justice Anna-Maja Henriksson (SPP), whose portfolio also covers the affairs of Åland, told a Swedish – language daily that the changed security environment was not a reason to return to military service.
He added that Finland’s possible NATO membership would not change Åland’s demilitarized status.
The media reported on Monday the Speaker of Parliament Matti Vanhanen (Cen) said he hoped Åland would take the initiative to deploy Finnish troops in the province.
The League of Nations granted Finland the sovereignty of Åland in 1921. The archipelagos had sought to unite with Sweden when Finland became independent in 1917. As a compromise, Finland agreed to grant self-government to the population.
Åland was demilitarized after the Crimean War in 1856. That year, the Paris Peace Treaty was signed, according to which the island must not have military force, but the border guard has stations there.
Ghost homes
Helsinki’s housing prices have risen the fastest in 10 years, but the steep price tags in the city center do not prevent wealthy buyers from buying a second home in the capital, the day reports. Helsingin sanomat newspaper (switch to another service).
“They are opera houses” Juhana Brotherus, chief economist at mortgage company Hypon, told HS. The term refers to holiday homes used to explore the cultural sites of the capital.
According to HS, this trend means more and more empty homes. There are more than 15,000 vacant dwellings in the central areas of Helsinki, which is 11 per cent of the housing stock in the city center. In Kluuvi, close to the main railway station, almost 40 percent of the apartments are empty.
Chinese electric cars
The BYD T3 is a compact electric van that is said to offer up to 310 kilometers on a single charge, depending on speed and conditions.
According to KL, the price of a van is just under 50,000 euros.
Electric vehicles have been in high demand this spring and buyers have had to wait six months for the car. The shortage of supply has led to many Finnish customers ordering electric cars in an unprecedented way.