Finland’s prime minister has so far refused to join NATO.
(Photo: Reuters)
Stockholm Anyone who shares a 1,300-kilometer border is dependent on good neighborly relations. That actually happened between Finland and Russia for decades. Finland coordinated important foreign and security policy decisions with Moscow – the policy of consultations with Moscow was called “Finlandization”. In return, non-aligned Finland was able to secure a number of advantages, such as lively economic trade.
Russia’s massive attack on Ukraine has now called everything into question. Discussions in the non-aligned countries Finland and Sweden about a possible entry into NATO have become more heated. Russia’s threat that Finland and Sweden joining NATO would have “serious military and political consequences” for the two countries further encouraged this.
Public opinion about joining the North Atlantic Defense Alliance is now changing in both countries.
For the first time, a majority of Finnish citizens voted in favor of their country joining NATO. This is shown by a survey by the public broadcaster YLE. Accordingly, 53 percent of the Finns surveyed support NATO membership. Four years ago, only 19 percent said yes to NATO.
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And within just four days, more than 50,000 Finns signed a petition calling for a referendum on the country’s security policy. Even if the social democratic head of government Sanna Marin welcomed the discussion on Monday, she made her position clear on Twitter: “There will be no broader discussion about Finland’s relationship to the military alliance or to non-alignment.”
Even though the two northern European countries are not about to join NATO, this has been the subject of serious discussion for the first time in many years. The Russian attack on Ukraine has led to a rethink in Finland and Sweden. For the first time since World War II, both countries agreed to supply arms to Ukraine after long discussions. On Monday, the parliaments in Helsinki and Stockholm decided to send defensive weapons to Ukraine in addition to protective equipment. There was talk of “historic decisions”.
Both countries have been working closely together militarily for many years
Sweden is currently looking closely at what neighboring Finland is doing. Both countries have been practicing close military cooperation for many years and generally coordinate security policy decisions.
Should the question of NATO membership be raised again in Finland, this would have an immediate impact on the discussion in Sweden. So far, Stockholm’s stance has been clear: “It’s not the right time to shake things up,” Social Democratic Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson warned at the end of last week of her country taking an unclear security policy stance.
In fact, several bourgeois parties are calling for NATO membership. The leader of the Swedish Conservatives, Ulf Kristersson, is certain that his country “will be part of NATO in five years”, as he said in a recent debate. The discussions pose a problem for Prime Minister Andersson. She heads a minority government that has to be supported by changing majorities.
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A new parliament will be elected in September, and the country’s future security policy could become one of the key campaign issues. Kristersson received support from a number of other Reichstag parties. And public opinion about a possible NATO membership has recently changed: According to a recent survey by the public television station SVT, 41 percent of those questioned support membership, while 35 percent oppose it.
Finland and Sweden’s rapprochement with the North Atlantic defense alliance began when both countries joined the EU in 1995. They take part in joint NATO maneuvers and have also coordinated the procurement of military equipment with NATO. Just before Christmas, Finland ordered 64 F-35 fighter jets from the American armaments company Lockheed Martin for ten billion euros, while Sweden bought US Patriot anti-aircraft missiles.
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