I'm not going to pretend to be an expert, but I can share some experiences and things learned after having moved to Finland a handful of years ago. I wasn't very well read on history when I moved here, and especially I didn't know anything about Finland's participation in WW2 or that they even had a civil war. And on top of that, I had a lot to learn about socialist theory. (Still do!)

I'm still pretty bad at speaking Finnish. I've picked up a bit just through ambient exposure, but my day to day is in English. So I probably miss a lot of political context because of the language and culture gap. I can translate the news though. Finnish posters please correct me if I've misrepresented something!

• Who are the main political actors? Are they compradors, nationalists, international socialists, something else?

Newsheads probably remember the latest election which kicked out the incumbent Social Democrat party with Sanna Marin as PM due to a rightward swing. This swing brought a number of politicians from a previously more fringe party called the Finns Party or the True Finns Party. (Or I imagine them as the Basic Finns due to the name perussuomalaiset.) They seem like the American Tea Partyers but more racist. The new PM is Petteri Orpo of the national coalition party, typical European "center right" party. To form the government, they made an alliance with the Christian Democrats and the Finns party, the latter of which was controversial. The Social Democrats are doing the equivalent of "Orange Man Bad" now that they lost.

The mainstream left party (social democratic) afaict is basically the Left Alliance (Vasemmistoliitto) which was headed by Li Andersson. I think she was the last holdout one to not fall in line on the NATO vote, but eventually did. TheFinnishBolshevik on YouTube has a good video summarizing this moment in Finnish politics.

• What are the most salient domestic political issues; those issues that repeatedly shape elections over the last 10, 20 years. Every country has its quirks that complicate analysis - for example, Brexit in the UK.

I can't really speak on this topic but Finns seem obsessed with their eastern neighbor. So the main recurring issues are related to this, such as the question of joining NATO. In 2009(?) Finland and Russia opened a high speed rail line between Helsinki and Saint Petersburg (50/50 ownership). I think this was hugely popular at least among Russians who would travel to Helsinki for tourism, and also for whatever reason really like the Finnish cheese. This rail line is closed for good. The line was closed indefinitely after the 2022 Ukraine SMO, but just a few weeks ago the Finnish government took complete control over the sitting trains (remember, 50/50 ownership with Russia) and are talking about repurposing the trains for domestic use.

• What is the country's history? You don't have to go back a thousand years if that's not relevant, and I'm counting "history" as basically anything that has happened over a year ago.

I'd really love a Finn's perspective on this. And probably other hexbears know the history better. But in broad strokes, "Finland" before becoming a single nation was a collection of ethnically Finnish enclaves (for lack of a better word idk) in different regions. I don't know these details so well, but there are Karelians to the east, Häme in the south, and indigenous Sàmi in the far north. (Someone can expand here on the colonization of Sami region by Finland, Sweden and Norway!) But the Finland we know today is a unification of the different groups, just like was seen in formation of nation states elsewhere in Europe.

Important to note Finland has only had independence as a nation for a hair over 100 years thanks to the Bolsheviks. Prior to this, Finland was handed back and forth between Sweden and Russia. I don't know the details on the Christianization of Finland, but it probably happened during Swedish rule. Finnish tribes were originally pagan.

• What factions exist, historically and currently? If there is an electoral system, what are the major parties and their demographic bases? Are there any minor parties with large amounts of influence? Independence movements? Religious groups?

Passing on this question

• How socially progressive or conservative are they? Is there equality for different ethnic groups, or are some persecuted? Do they have LGBTQIA+ rights? Have they improved over time, or gotten worse?

Well, I think most here understand the folly of "Nordic Socialism" so I don't have much to say here. Finns are pretty racist against immigrants, but had (past tense) a relatively good social welfare state. Probably strongly influenced by the Soviets to the east and the Olof Palme social democrats to the west.

• What role do foreign powers play in the country’s politics and economy? Is there a particular country nearby or far away that is nearly inseparable from them, for good or bad reasons? Is their trade dominated by exports/imports to one place? Are they exploited, exploiters, or something in between?

Absolutely cucked by the US now that they joined NATO, but it was already kinda the case. I don't know their overall relationship with the EU. Finland and the other Nordic countries occasionally make cooperation deals. A note on terminology: "Scandinavian" refers to the peninsula of Norway and Sweden. Finland isn't Scandinavian, but they are "Nordic." Estonia also badly wants to be on Team Nordic to forget their Soviet past. This is partly because Finnish and Estonian are related languages. Occasional bilateral agreements between Finland and Estonia have tried to promote this.

• If applicable, what is the influence of former colonial relationships on the modern economy and politics?

I could write a fair bit here, but it probably suffices fo say being a colony of Sweden and the Russian Empire had a lasting effect on Finnish identity and political consciousness.

• Is the country generally stable? Do you think there will be a coup at some point in the future, and if so, what faction might replace them?

I don't foresee any coups on the horizon. The Finnish population is mostly in line with their politicians as far as I can tell. HOWEVER, it does make me smile to see pro Palestine protestors and student protestors doing their part in this otherwise hellish political situation. If any political movement happens, I think it will happen from below from poorly treated immigrants and seasonal workers, OR more realistically from Finns who lost social benefits as the welfare state is carved out by neoliberalism.