National Coalition chairman dismisses criticism by President Halonen

Katainen makes clear his party continues to challenge Finland's foreign policy

Jyrki Katainen

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The moderate conservative National Coalition Party, Finland's biggest Parliamentary opposition grouping, has fended off criticism presented by President Tarja Halonen in her speech opening this year's session of Parliament. Instead, the party continues to challenge Finland's foreign and EU policies, argued party chairman Jyrki Katainen at Saturday's party council meeting in Helsinki.
      In her speech on last Wednesday, President Halonen expressed disapproval of the kind of conduct whose aim is only to pursue short-term political gain by forcibly seeking dissent.
     
Halonen made reference to the debate on the government report on security and defence policy, which Parliament passed late last year.
      In the debate, the National Coalition Party made efforts to get through its viewpoint, according to which Finland can no longer consider itself non-allied in the traditional sense.
      Katainen found it "impossible to imagine" that the President would have been referring to the National Coalition Party.
      In his view, the National Coalition Party has only made reference to topical questions, but has not purposefully sought disagreement. As an example, Katainen referred to two topics of last autumn's conversations: Finland's non-allied status and the EU rapid deployment units mandate.
      The National Coalition Party disagrees with the government on Finland's non-allied status, because, in its view, by committing itself to the EU security guarantees, Finland "very much enters into alliance" and becomes allied in security policy issues as well, Katainen clarified.
     
Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen argued in December that the National Coalition Party's "not non-allied in the traditional sense" statement would require some explaining on the international scene.
      Katainen, in turn, reckoned that at this point in time declaring Finland non-allied would raise even more eyebrows and call for further clarifications.
      Katainen based his views on interviews with the French Minister of Defence and the French ambassador to Helsinki that were published in Finland. Neither of them regarded the non-allied status very highly.
      Furthermore, Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee and the Swedish People's Party also think along the same lines with the National Coalition Party, Katainen noted.
     
President Halonen disagrees with the leading ministers on whether the EU rapid deployment units should operate on an order from the EU, or if their authorisation should come only from the United Nations.
      The government prefers the first alternative, as does the National Coalition Party. The president, in turn, favours the latter choice, Katainen pointed out.
      In his view the conflict is clear. It does not have to be forcibly sought.
      Katainen also mentioned having witnessed signs that the dispute would be postponed until after the presidential election.
     
Katainen said he was astonished at how foreign and EU policies are still areas where open discussion is not allowed. Anyone who disagrees with the government on what is best for Finland is automatically labelled as an opportunist, Katainen charged.
      The chairman was backed up by MP Kimmo Sasi, who read out the EU security guarantees clause. Sasi considered the European Union as a "soft military alliance".
      The party council approved the notion that the period of non-alliance has ended. NATO is a "real alternative" for Finland, and the EU and NATO are in fact parts of the same security body.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  President raps foreign policy critics at opening of Parliament (3.2.2005)

Links:
  President of the Republic of Finland (includes transcript of Halonen speech)
  Kansallinen Kokoomus (National Coalition Party) in English

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