A post-pandemic path to success
– What can Denmark and Finland learn from each other?
Denmark and Finland have both been labelled internationally as leading examples in managing the Covid-19 pandemic. At this point of the crisis, according to experts, the approach of shutting down quickly but not completely and then reopening sometime later has been a success.
We discuss with two distinguished Nordic economists, the Finnish Nobel laureate and Paul A. Samuelson Professor of Economics, emeritus, MIT Bengt Holmström and the professor of economics at Århus University Torben M. Andersen, what is behind this Nordic miracle and which measures could pave Finland’s and Denmark’s way to successful transition into the post-pandemic time.
The two Nordic countries have managed to avoid total lock-downs, the health care systems have been functioning well throughout the crisis and their economies have been faring better than their European counterparts.
Denmark is the international benchmark for testing for the coronavirus and some Copenhagen children had the good fortune of having their kindergarten moved to Tivoli in the beginning of the crisis. Finland has one of the lowest infection rates and seeks innovative ways to tackle the pandemic, such as dogs diagnosing Covid-19 at the Helsinki-Vantaa airport. Is there something these two countries could learn from each other when navigating towards the post-pandemic future? Is there still room for improvement?
The discussion is moderated by journalist and writer Annukka Oksanen.
Organizers: The Finnish-Danish Cultural Foundation and Hanaholmen – the Swedish-Finnish Cultural Centre
Picture/Holmström: MIT Economics/L. Barry Hetherington. Picture/Andersen: Lars Kruse, AU Foto
