Finland's military non-alignment no longer self-evident issue

Parliament debates non-alignment and mines in defence report discussion

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Finland’s traditional security policy line of military non-alignment was no longer a self-evident issue on Tuesday, when Parliament continued its discussion on the government’s report on security and defence policy.
      There was also hot debate on the government’s decision to give up the use of anti-personnel land mines by 2016, the plan to take part in the rapid action forces of the European Union, the new wording of the "NATO-option", and the establishment of regional defence forces.
     
The largest opposition grouping, the National Coalition Party, stipulated that Finland had already given up its policy of non-alignment, and similar views were expressed by MPs of the government parties.
      Liisa Jaakonsaari (SDP) and Eva Biaudet (Swed. People’s Party) said that Finland had already allied itself with EU security cooperation.
      Biaudet said that the term "non-alignment" should be examined in an open manner. "If military non-alignment only means that we are not a member of NATO, perhaps it would be simpler to just to say it." She also said that the term "non-alignment" is no longer useful, because it is a synonym for many obsolete historical phenomena.
     
The large government parties, the Centre Party and the Social Democrats, were generally pleased with the defence policy report. Parliamentarians of the junior partner, the Swedish People’s Party, found much to criticise in the paper.
      National Coalition Party chairman Jyrki Katainen said that his party does not support the government’s decision on the land mine issue. In the party’s view, Finland should join the Ottawa Treaty banning land mines in 2020 at the earliest.
      Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen (Centre) noted that when it was in the previous government, the National Coalition Party was willing to join the treaty in 2006.
      The populist True Finns party said that Finland should wait until Russia and the United States joined the Ottawa Treaty. The Greens called for joining the pact already in 2006, while the Parliamentary group of the Left Alliance unexpectedly did not take a stand on the issue.
     
The National Coalition Party was also critical of the wording in the report concerning possible Finnish NATO membership. According to the report, NATO membership will continue to be a "possibility" for Finland. "For the National Coalition Party NATO is a real alternative", Katainen said.
      The planned EU rapid action forces were a cause for concern for the Left Alliance. Mikko Kuoppa sees the forces as an attack force, which could get mired in a war, like the coalition forces in Iraq.
      Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja responded, saying that the rapid action forces focused on speed, and nothing else.
      Another Left Alliance MP, Erkki Virtanen, was concerned about plans for the establishment of voluntary regional forces. He was echoed by Minna Sirniö (Left Alliance), who asked if the aim was to set up a national guard along the lines of the United States.
      Defence Minister Seppo Kääriäinen (Centre) said that the regional forces would be trained for wartime action, and that their weapons would be kept under lock-and-key in normal times.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Defence Minister Kääriäinen sees no change in NATO option (28.9.2004)

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