In August 2015, a Finnish citizen embarked on a tour from Finland to Estonia and back on a pleasure boat. The private boat trip quickly evolved into a matter of great significance. His journey not only challenged the foundations of the Finnish sentencing system but also shed new light on the requirements of proportionality that EU law may impose on national sentencing systems more broadly. The boatman was fined for not carrying his passport. He contested the penal order, and the case was heard by the district court before being escalated to the Supreme Court of Finland. The Supreme Court sought a preliminary ruling from the European Court of Justice (ECJ), which delivered a verdict that struck at the very core of the Finnish sentencing system.
The proposed initiative would mean that those with weaker command of Finnish or Swedish would not be entitled to full unemployment support, but some experts believe that it may be unconstitutional.
The agreement will dictate the specifics regarding the stationing of US troops in Finland for military exercises and overall preparedness, which would be the first instance of an extended foreign military presence in Finland during peacetime.