Finnish Ambassador to Vietnam: The core is how to make people feel their voices are heard

Finland has long been globally recognized for its effective and resilient governance system, delivering valuable lessons in innovation, transparency and building public trust.

Finnish Ambassador to Vietnam Keijo Norvanto affirmed that the core issue is still how to make people feel that their voices are heard, can participate and influence the policy-making process. (Photo: Yen Chi)

In an interview with The World and Vietnam Newspaper about Finland's experience in public administration on the sidelines of the discussion "Effective leadership and public administration, promoting innovation and digital transformation: Experience from Northern Europe and Vietnam", Finnish Ambassador to Vietnam Keijo Norvanto emphasized the role of transparency, accountability and multi-stakeholder cooperation.

Finland has long been highly regarded for its transparency and accountability in public administration. What measures can Vietnam take to build a more transparent and trustworthy public administration system, especially in the context of digital transformation, Ambassador?

For me, this is a challenging issue not only for Vietnam or Finland, but also for many countries in the world. Although we have differences in institutions, the core problem is still how to make people feel that their voices are heard, can participate and influence the policy-making process.

In Finland, we have a multi-party system, a coalition government and elections at many levels, from the National Assembly , the President to local governments and the European Parliament. However, the voter turnout is on the decline. For example, in March 2025, we will hold local elections for Finnish citizens living in Vietnam. I predict that the voter turnout may be below 50%. The reason is that people are not aware of the importance of voting, even though these are elections that have a direct impact on the public services they use every day.

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In addition, I think that Vietnam’s Provincial Governance and Public Administration Performance Index (PAPI) is an impressive initiative that Finland can learn from. This is an annual survey with the participation of about 70,000-80,000 people, aiming to measure the quality of public services and feedback from citizens. This direct data not only helps the government have a realistic view of management efficiency but also creates a mechanism for people to participate in monitoring, contributing to improving transparency.

Finland is also looking for new ways to increase citizen participation in policy-making. In addition to elections, we have implemented a number of open democracy models, where citizens can directly propose and contribute ideas to policymakers. This is an important way to ensure that decisions do not only come from the government but also reflect the will of the people.

Above all, I believe that Vietnam will have solutions that are suitable for its governance model. But regardless of the country, the common goal is to build a transparent and trustworthy government where people are not only better served but also have faith in the country’s sustainable development. When society is stable, the economy grows and opportunities expand, that faith will be further strengthened.

Delegates attending the seminar "Effective leadership and public administration, promoting innovation and digital transformation: Experiences from Northern Europe and Vietnam". (Photo: Yen Chi)

At the seminar "Effective leadership and public administration, promoting innovation and digital transformation: Experience from Northern Europe and Vietnam" on the afternoon of March 18, Finnish Ambassador to Vietnam Keijo Norvanto affirmed that "one of the important foundations of public administration is the deep trust that citizens place in government agencies".

“Over generations, we have created an environment where citizens trust that their government will act in their best interests, a government that is transparent, ethical and accountable,” Ambassador Norvanto emphasized.

The Ambassador also pointed out that this trust does not come naturally, but is built through consistent, accountable leadership and the belief that every decision is made with integrity and inclusiveness. This foundation of trust also gives the Nordic country the strength to innovate and build a brighter future together.

In addition to the role of the government, an important factor in Finland’s successful reform is promoting innovation through cooperation between government agencies, the private sector and international organizations. What can Vietnam learn from this approach to improve public governance?

What surprised me when I came to Vietnam was the level of operation of the market mechanism.

Vietnam is a market economy where businesses operate dynamically, creatively and are supported by the government in their development. This is also a strength that helps Vietnam become an attractive destination for small and medium enterprises, as well as strongly attract foreign investment capital. Therefore, continuing to improve the business environment will be a key factor to attract investment and promote growth.

In my opinion, to improve the effectiveness of public administration, Vietnam can continue to improve the business environment, creating favorable conditions for businesses to develop and expand. At the same time, promoting the connection between the business sector and universities, research institutes and innovation centers will help build a thriving business ecosystem. When businesses can quickly access scientific achievements and apply innovation to products and business models, the economy will develop more strongly and sustainably.

In Finland, with a population of only 5.6 million, coordination between the government, the private sector and research institutions can be implemented more quickly. Meanwhile, Vietnam has a population of nearly 100 million, but I believe that with its current strong growth rate, Vietnam can absolutely build an effective innovation ecosystem.

I have witnessed incredible progress in this beautiful Southeast Asian country over the past three years, and I am sure that in the near future, Vietnam will form a tightly linked system between the government, businesses and research organizations. This ecosystem will not only help create new business models but also continue to strongly attract domestic and foreign investment capital, promoting sustainable growth.

Thank you very much, Ambassador!