Helsinki
Several Finnish politicians called this week for the reversal of the huge tax cut on liquor that has spurred binge drinking. Finland cut its liquor taxes by 44 percent in March, and since then liquor sales have soared. The tax cut was prompted by fears that, after neighboring Estonia joined the E.U. in May, Finns would simply be able to zip across the Gulf of Finland and buy far cheaper Estonian liquor. Scandinavians already take frequent boat trips to other E.U. countries to load up on cheap alcohol. The E.U. is considering harmonizing liquor taxes across the union in an effort to prevent such “booze cruises.”
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Normalising relations with the Taliban in AfghanistanThe Explainer The regime is coming in from the diplomatic cold, as countries lose hope of armed opposition and seek cooperation on counterterrorism, counter-narcotics and deportation of immigrants
-
Best poetry books of 2025The Week Recommends Magnificent collections from Luke Kennard, Leo Boix and Isabelle Baafi
-
‘Furious Minds: The Making of the MAGA New Right’ by Laura K. Field and ‘The Dream Factory: London’s First Playhouse and the Making of William Shakespeare’ by Daniel SwiftFeature An insider’s POV on the GOP and the untold story of Shakespeare’s first theater
