Alas, he cannot tell a lie

Date: 26/09/1996

There is a still a lot the Nordics can teach the rest of Europe about transparency and openness.

Having brought the notion of public honesty into the EU with them, the Finns have now introduced the concept of honest dishonesty.

This is the principle of being open and transparent about when you are being deceptive.

If you are still confused about how this works, here is a concrete example, courtesy of Finnish Finance Minister Sauli Niinistö, who was cornered by journalists at the Dublin gathering and, not for the first time, pressed to declare whether he intended to take the markka into the ERM soon.

“I have decided not to answer such questions any more,” he said, transparently and openly.

He then added honestly: “This is because at some point

I will have to lie.”