Tobacco is more expensive than Euro -Constitution

In the struggle for the right to chew Snus, the inhabitants of the Alanda are ready for everything in a decade that has passed since the day the residents of the Baltic Aland Archipelago voted for joining the EU, they had to undergo a lot of to endure from the European Union, and now the Alandsky archipelago, a unique autonomous education in Finland, intends to teach the lesson of democracy, which Brussels will not soon forget.

For centuries, the inhabitants of the Alanda hunted migratory birds. The archipelago is in the way of their migration, and Utryatin was very by the way after a hungry winter. Once this archipelago was part of the Russian Empire, but after 1921 it was provided with self-government, and broad autonomy became a fee for the entry of Alanda in Finland.
When Finland was joining the EU in 1995, the inhabitants of the Alanders were convinced that this would not affect their right to hunt. During the referendum, 70% of the islands voted for joining the European Union. However, soon the decision of the European Court was outlawed most of the spring hunting fishing. Alf-Eric Karlsson, the manager of the hunting store, also at one time also cast his vote “for”. Now he is shocked by the degree of EU intervention in the life of the Alanders. “I thought it would only affect the economic sphere. I would never have thought that the European Union would establish the rules of hunting in the Alanders! ”

The will of the history of 26,000 inhabitants of the archipelago are the sovereign co -rulers of the state of Finland and, thus, have the right to veto in relation to any international agreements that Finland intends to conclude, including agreements regarding the country's participation in the European Union. Now residents of the islands are threatening to use this right during the vote for a new project of the European Constitution, which can enter into force only if it is ratified by all 25 members of the European Union. However, the other day, Britt Lundberg, responsible for the demolition of the archipelago with the European Union, made it clear to Brussels during his one -day trip to Brussels that anti -European sentiments reigning on the island may well impede the ratification of Eurocation Finland scheduled for this year.

The dissatisfaction of the population of the Alanders by the European Union grew as European legislation more and more prevented the usual lifestyle of the islanders. At first, the financial archipelago, consisting of Finnish speaking in Swedish, was prohibited from the traditional fishing with networks, then the spring-beloved spring hunting of ducks was actually abolished by the Alanders. And the prospect of canceling local laws by the European Court regulating the consumption of traditional Swedish chewing tobacco Snus, overwhelmed the thicket of patience.

Finland itself, which will preside the EU this year, seeks to revive the project of the European Constitution after its last year’s failure in referenda in France and the Netherlands. The Finnish parliament intends to take a prophetic position, speaking in coalition with such powers as Austria and Germany. But, as Lundberg made it clear, the inhabitants of the Alanders can interfere with the implementation of these plans.

Now the EU is in a very sensitive position. Snus is prohibited for sale and use throughout the European Union, with the exception of Sweden, which in advance discussed this condition for joining the EU, and recently the law of the Alandsky archipelago regulating the use of this chewing tobacco was submitted to the court as not corresponding to the pan -European legislation. However, Finland is not entitled to change the legislation of the Alanders - only the inhabitants of the archipelago themselves can do, and the Alanda cannot independently represent their interests in court, since they are formally part of Finland. “Each Anger is very upset by the development of events, we intend to condemn and finish us, despite the fact that we are not allowed to protect the right to chew Snus in court and explain why we have the right to do this,” said Mr. Lundberg.

The ban on Snus will cause significant damage to the economy of Maarianhamin, the capital of the Aland. The head of the government of the Archipelago Roger Norlund says that although he personally does not like Snus at all, for him tobacco is a question of the principle: “It's all about the inconsistency of scale. The EU should be a mechanism for making common, large -scale decisions, but in reality it imposes on us our own solutions to our local problems. ”

Ship navigator Thomas Gunter is burning Snus around the clock. “He helps me relax,” he says. - Previously, I believed that the EU is something worthwhile, now I can’t stand it! ”

02/16/2006 / David Ranny / Maarianhamin Material published in the "newspaper" No. 27 dated 02.17.2006.