COMMENTARY: Flying with forbidden liquids

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By Annamari Sipilä
     
      Belgium recently had a holiday in the middle of the week. I did not bend under this Catholic influence. I spent the day honouring the Protestant tradition, by cleaning.
      It was worth it. From the sediments of my handbag I uncovered two long-lost bottles of nail polish, Rouge Noir and Flamme Rose, as well as two small single-serving cartons of semi-skimmed milk.
      Wonderful! I had been flying all autumn with nail polish and emergency milk in my hand luggage, and nobody had stopped me or shouted at me at the security inspection.
      I did not feel like a criminal, or even like a sinner. I had travelled in good faith. Catch me if you can, or if you know how to.
     
The sense of contrition comes more easily in the Finnish Parliament.
      The Parliamentary committee on agriculture and forestry was alarmed in October when it was revealed that the Finnish government was holding talks on agricultural subsidies under Article 141 of Finland’s EU accession treaty while carrying bottles of wine in its hand luggage.
      No metaphors here: Members of Parliament were frightened at the idea that Finland wants to become an official wine-growing country in the EU, while at the same time lobbying the European Commission about the serious hardships suffered by farmers in Southern Finland.
      The committee was worried that the wine country project would give the wrong impression about Finland’s climate. The Commission might start thinking that Finland is a cheater and a pretender. At stake are national subsidies for Southern Finland because of a small-scale grape-growing experiment in the Åland Islands.
     
Fortunately the government of Finland acted in a steadfast manner in this matter. Finland is not giving up on its goal of becoming a wine growing country [see note below].
      This is good. One can only imagine how Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel might have laughed to the point of distraction at the panic exhibited by the Finns. Aha! They’re so afraid that they stop a wine-growing experiment involving just a few bottles! So let’s tighten the screw a little bit! Well, it looks like the Finns were not up to the game!
      It is much more impressive for Agriculture Minister Sirkka-Liisa Anttila to sail into Brussels, slam her nail-polished fist on the table, and demand that Finland have BOTH the status of a wine country, AND that of a wretched country needing subsidies.
     
And hopefully the banging of the fist will bring results soon. No, we are not seeking the recognition of a special position for farming in the south of Finland - that is something completely different. How did one colleague describe the feeling? It went something like this:
      "Whenever talk turns to Article 141, I get a throbbing pain behind my left ear."
      The colleague was not the only one to have overdosed on the Great Finnish Battle - the one that has been going on all autumn.
      Another acquaintance recalled wistfully about a time when it was acceptable in Finland to chide farmers and agricultural subsidies. It was not even very long time ago. Now it seems exotic. The 141 subsidy has surprisingly turned into the best interest for all of Finland, even though the money comes out of the pockets of Finnish taxpayers.
     
If I were an ethnographer I would be enthusiastic. I would collect material throughout the autumn for my topical massive research paper that I would call How Envy Changes in Finnish Everyday Life in the Early Years of the 21st Century.
      According to the study, farmers may no longer be criticised, and agricultural subsidies may not be envied. It has become improper to do so in polite society. Now people focus on the feeling of unity among Finns.
      But the sum of envy is a constant. When it is taken away from one place, it must be added somewhere else.
      It is currently fashionable to be envious of little things. Listen to the people around you. What are they complaining about? Restrictions on liquids at airports. Whom do they envy? Fellow passengers who have managed to slip through security with extra liquids in their bags.
      However, a sense of proportion remains. It is possible to support Article 141 subsidies with a certain intensity, but those whose liquids have been consigned to the airport trash bin are the ones who speak with a true sense of passion.
     
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 25.11.2007
     
     
Note: On Monday, Finnish Minister of Agriculture Sirkka-Liisa Anttila announced that Finland would withdraw its application for classification as a wine-producing country.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  No More Mr. Nice Guy Finland (3.11.2007)
  Vanhanen sees Article 141 as the only way that Finland can secure livelihood of its farmers (24.10.2007)
  Finnish Minister of Agriculture continues lobbying for future subsidies (27.11.2007)
  Nordic partners stop lobbying against Finnish agricultural subsidies (23.11.2007)

ANNAMARI SIPILÄ / Helsingin Sanomat
annamari.sipila@hs.fi