COMMENTARY: Finland - a small dot on the US political map

Tarja Halonen

Alexander Stubb

Martti Ahtisaari

Olli Rehn

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By Kari Huhta
     
      Finland is a small country on the political world map of the United States.
      To be precise, Finland counts for 0.24 per cent.
      The percentage represents the proportion of messages sent from the US Embassy in Helsinki included in all of the diplomatic messages made public by Wikileaks.
     
For Finland and the Finns, this quarter percentile is of course the most interesting.
      When Wikileaks started making its material public in November, the focus in other countries was also on reports concerning themselves.
      Consequently, a distorted image has emerged of the whole.
      The messages sent from Finland create the impression that the USA is following Finland very closely.
      Clearly, the Embassy in Helsinki is doing just that: the cables even report on issues that are ultimately of little interest for Washington, such as the municipal elections of 2008.
     
Things look quite different when, instead of the 601 messages sent from Helsinki, we look at the entire jackpot of quarter of a million. Helsingin Sanomat has had the opportunity to examine those messages with the help of the Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten.
      The map that emerges from all of the messages is the map of the American political world, but as such it is inadequate.
      There are unexplained blips and gaps in the communications, and the most secret messages are not there at all.
     
However, there has never been such a fresh overall image given from so many messages. Usually it takes decades for archives to open up.
      The material makes it possible to make observations about the significance of Finland for the leading great power that transcend the number and content of the messages sent.
      Finland is mentioned in 2,247 messages sent from other places.
     
Finland is mainly included in lists of countries involved in various international political or economic projects.
      President Tarja Halonen is mentioned in 109 messages - slightly less frequently than Nokia (123).
      Halonen is rarely characterised or quoted in messages sent from anywhere other than Helsinki.
      UN speeches are summarised closely along with others, and equality projects, such as those with Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, are mentioned in single sentences.
     
The treatment is not particularly ungracious, nor are other Finns treated much differently.
      Minister for Foreign Affairs Alexander Stubb (Nat. Coalition Party) gets only 94 mentions, in spite of his breezy manner.
      No Finns are specified as particularly important sources of information.
     
Former President Martti Ahtisaari comes out on top; he is mentioned 1,167 times.
      European Commissioner Olli Rehn is of interest to Washington, but specifically as a commissioner rather than a Finn.
      In March 2007 Washington instructed its embassy that the State Department “encourages meetings whenever Rehn visits Helsinki”.
     
Finland’s two six-month stints as holder of the EU Presidency raised the country’s visibility on the US diplomatic map, but only temporarily.
      In late 2006 the Americans were interested in Finnish views on the unification of Cyprus.
      During the Finnish EU Presidency they were also interested in the criticism against President Halonen by Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus, who felt that Halonen was too supportive of Russia.
     
Finns have even attained the role of experts on Latin American affairs.
      During the dispute over the Botnia pulp mill being built in Uruguay in September 2007, a US diplomat quoted an analysis on the situation in Argentina by a Finnish diplomat.
     
Even a large country can come across as being small-minded in the reflected light of the diplomatic messages.
      In disputes, the United States examines very carefully who is on its side.
      Even the slightest increases in participation in crisis management in Afghanistan are noted.
      Correspondingly, Finland’s decision not to accept prisoners from Guantanamo was clearly upsetting.
      The messages do not indicate if there were any consequences.
     
     
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 20.2.2011


Previously in HS International Edition:
  WIKILEAKS: Supplying decommissioned weapons to Afghanistan was “political poison” for Finland (17.2.2011)
  WIKILEAKS: Release of Afghan convicts responsible for 2007 death of Finnish peacekeeper pointed to corruption (15.2.2011)
  WIKILEAKS: Finland reported copiously to the Americans on dealings with Russian leaders (11.2.2011 - contains several articles)
  WIKILEAKS: US diplomatic cables portray Ahtisaari as straight-talking and formidable peace mediator (14.2.2011)

KARI HUHTA / Helsingin Sanomat
kari.huhta@hs.fi