Operating as they are in one of the top coffee-consuming countries in the world, politicians in Finland have long used the black brew to soften up crowds to their rhetoric.
This long-standing tradition has come to an abrupt end at the most popular market places in the capital, where political campaigning has tended to concentrate. The reason: café entrepreneurs around the markets say their business has suffered from the free hand-outs.
“Our sales are impacted immediately if the same product can be obtained for free. This is unfair towards those who make a living from selling coffee,” says Timo Taulavuori, head of the Tukkutori organization under which Helsinki’s market places operate.
The new rule has come into effect at least at Market Square and the Hakaniemi market, where several permanent coffee retailers run businesses.
In true election campaign form, the political parties show sympathy towards the entrepreneurs.
“You have people there who are trying to make their daily living through coffee. We have replaced coffee with hot juice,” says Teemu Suominen, head of the Finns Party election organization in the Helsinki district.
Helsinki’s Social Democrats share Suominen’s sentiments, and now also serve juice as well as handing out sweets in a bid to attract voters.
Put off by black sausage hand-outs in Tampere
While coffee continues to be served at party stalls on Tampere’s market places, there is growing resentment amongst local market businesses about food products being handed out.
“Here at Tammela market they’re giving out all kinds of things. There is coffee, there is bread,” laments Mauno Laihonen, chair of Tampere’s market sellers’ association.
Meanwhile at Manse market, politicians’ hand-outs of black sausage, a traditional Finnish delicacy, have caused outrage.
“When they give it out, it brings down sales of the retailer dealing in that particular product,” Laihonen explains, adding that such acts also attract more people to market places – which may in fact be good for business.
And so Laihonen concludes that actually market retailers are not in favor of banning free coffee and food.
Unlike in the capital and at some markets in Tampere, party coffee and soup continue to be brewed at market places in other major Finnish towns such as Turku and Kuopio.
