Majority of Finns still oppose NATO membership

Majority in favour of cooperation with alliance

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About one in four Finns feel that Finland should seek membership in NATO. Over two thirds remain opposed to joining the alliance.
      No significant shifts have taken place in attitudes toward NATO in the past two years.
      The latest data is from a survey published by the Advisory Board for Defence Information on Wednesday.
      The perceived risk that Finns would have to fight abroad was seen as the most compelling reason for not joining NATO, alongside the idea that it is better for Finland to stay outside great-power conflicts.
     
The most important motivations for supporters of NATO membership were that the Finnish Defence Forces are insufficient on their own, and that NATO would give military security against Russia.
      Although a clear majority oppose joining NATO, 68 per cent also take a positive view of Finnish participation in exercises of the NATO Response Force (NRF).
      A clear majority - 60 per cent - also welcome Finnish participation in the NATO-led crisis management operations., and about half of respondents took a positive view of the idea that Finland would take part in the formation of the NRF.
     
The survey also found that opposition to NATO membership was greater than opposition to military alignment in general.
      When respondents were offered other options, such as working on behalf of the EU's own military alliance, only 50 per cent remained in favour of staying non-aligned.
     
Respondents to the survey were also asked what issues caused them concern for the future. The use of global natural resources was a concern for 61 per cent - 18 percentage points higher than last year.
      Climate change was a concern for 51 per cent, a 19-point increase from 2006.
      Nearly half of citizens felt that Finland was poorly prepared for climate change.
     
The survey, taken in November, involved interviews with nearly 1,000 Finns aged 15 to 97. Respondents were asked questions about Finnish foreign, security, and defence policy.
      The margin of error is 3.2 percentage points in either direction.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  FIIA: no wartime help for Finland without NATO (12.12.2007)
  On the road to NATO: a guide for travellers (18.11.2007)
  Antti Sierla to draft NATO report (23.8.2007)
  Foreign Minister Kanerva: Finland should not delay decision on NRF forces (17.8.2007)

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