In English

The project Lessons from the Covid-19 Pandemic (PAKO) examined Finland’s governance of the Covid-19 pandemic at the system level, including associated successes, challenges, and key areas for improvement.

Financed by the Finnish Government, the project was conducted in 2024–25 by the Universities of Turku, Helsinki, and Vaasa, VATT Institute for Economic Research, and Demos Helsinki.

The project was divided into six sub-studies:

  • The sub-study conducted at the University of Turku investigated the effects of the Covid-19 crisis on trust and inequality in society.
  • The sub-study conducted at the University of Vaasa examined the success of Finnish pandemic management from the perspectives of preparedness, crisis leadership and learning, and offered recommendations for a new crisis management model.
  • The sub-study conducted at the Government Institute for Economic Research (VATT) compiled a retrospective evaluation of lessons learned from the pandemic from an economic perspective and addressed research gaps, particularly in relation to municipal finances and changes in state spending structures.
  • The sub-study at the University of Turku examined the fundamental rights restrictions implemented during the pandemic and the functioning of institutions from a legal perspective, evaluating what the policy recommendations from previous studies and assessments could mean legally.
  • The sub-study conducted at the University of Helsinki provided an overview of the protective measures introduced in Finland and analysed the characteristics and spread of Covid-19 variants identified during the pandemic.
  • The sub-study conducted at Demos Helsinki assessed the use of research data and administrative responses in health crises as well as the implementation of related policy recommendations.

The study focused on epidemiology and protective measures, the legal framework, crisis management and preparedness, economic development, trust and social sustainability, and evidence-informed policymaking. The multidisciplinary analysis was based on extensive literature reviews and was complemented by workshops, interviews, surveys, and documentary data. The reviews were thematic and scoping, aiming to identify the relevant research literature on Covid-19 in Finland as comprehensively as possible across the main themes.

In the study, the pandemic was examined as a systemic phenomenon: a comprehensive societal whole in which sectors and actors interacted in numerous ways and were mutually dependent. Accordingly, the assessment did not focus on individual measures, but on how different sectors worked together and how governance functioned across sectoral boundaries. In addition to the systemic perspective, various types of decision-making uncertainties and adaptive forms of governance formed cross-cutting and intertwined focus areas of the analysis.

The project’s results have been compiled in a Finnish-language final report, which complements earlier Finnish reviews of the Covid-19 crisis and connects to European debates on crisis governance. An English-language policy brief, drawing on the final report, summarises the key findings and policy recommendations.

Read more:

Vogt, Henri, Taskinen, Mari, Immonen, Waltteri, Hekkala, Mikael, Kling, Aaron, Pohjankoski, Pekka, Hakoniemi, Elina, Oksanen, Lotta‑Maria, Tuomala, Juha, Hakola‑Uusitalo, Tuulia, Jalonen, Harri, Rantamäki, Aino, Niskanen, Ville‑Pekka, Uusikylä, Petri, Jalonen, Kari, Hokkanen, Lari, Sironen, Tarja & Pettersson, Jenni (2026): Towards more systemic crisis governance – lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic in Finland. Article Series for the Government’s research activities 2/2026

Inquiries:

Henri Vogt, henri.vogt@utu.fi

 

Photo: BlackJack3D/iStock