Finland has learned to live on alert throughout its history. During the Cold War, until flying trees were invented to mislead the Soviets. And since the conflict between Russia and Ukraine began in 2022, the threat of an eventual Russian invasion has once again flown over the horizon.
In December 2025, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned to the allies (the EU) in the face of a possible attack by Russia in the next five years. Faced with a Russian incursion into Europe, Finland is on the front line. The Nordic country knows it: It has been involving the entire population in defense for decades. Not even supermarkets are spared.
The Nordic total defense. Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark have been applying a model in which the military and civil sectors operate in combination for decades: the total defense. In short, defense is the responsibility of the entire society, not just the army. This model is also not limited to times of war, but is always active, with courses, drills and contingency plans. And it does not only contemplate a traditional war, but also any threat, such as cyberattacks or sabotage.
Of all the Nordic countries, Finland has the most developed system (and Denmark dismantled it almost completely): it did not lower its guard with the end of the cold war and your last update describes comprehensive security as the foundation of resilience in Finnish society.
What happens in supermarkets. A practical example of how total defense reaches all levels is in supermarkets: they have the obligation to maintain strategic reserves of essential products, such as flour, sugar or oil; which they keep in cellars or underground bunkers with emergency generators.
Thus, no matter what happens, supply to the population is guaranteed. The BBC collects the example of Group S and Kesko, the two largest supermarket chains in the Nordic country: together exceed 80% quota of food retail trade). In addition, they participate in preparation committees alongside administration officials and undergo drills.
Why it is important. Because preparing for war in times of war is normal (there is no choice), but doing so and maintaining it in times of peace is more complicated. The Nordic plan requires a social assembly between civil and military society that moves in difficult terrain: can a democratic and market society function as a cohesive defense system without falling into authoritarianism?
Considering the Finnish reality, it seems so. Of course, psychologist Jennifer De Paola from the University of Helsinki explains for the English medium that there are two pillars on which this total security is based and makes it unviable for other states: trust in institutions and a high level of social equality. The level of corruption in Finland is very low: it ranks second (out of 182 countries) in the Corruption Perception Index. Spain ranks 49 55.
Since childhood. Thinking about a war looming in the future is a frightening possibility because of everything it implies, so this permanent alert mode could potentially be a problem for the emotional stability of the population. It’s no secret that preparing for the worst creates anxiety.
Paola tells something curious: when asking children between 10 and 12 years old to draw happy people, I expected to find drawings related to fun. What he found was that they associate happiness with security and unhappiness with insecurity. It is no coincidence: it is the result of decades of socialization in a culture where collective security is a value internalized since childhood.
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Cover | András Rátonyi and Tara Clark
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