Max Jakobson calls for joining NATO before threat of war is imminent

Max Jakobson

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Veteran diplomat and journalist Max Jakobson says that Finland should become a member of NATO even if there is no immediate threat of war at the moment.
      "We must join NATO before dangers arise", he emphasised at a press conference marking the publication of his new book Tulevaisuus? ("Future?") in Helsinki on Wednesday.
      Jakobson also lamented that the only Presidential candidate to have taken a positive stand on NATO is Henrik Lax of the Swedish People’s Party.
      "It seems that for now we will not be discussing membership on the political level, so the NATO option will remain at least past the election", Jakobson said, in reference to the government’s security policy report, according to which applying for NATO membership remains an option.
     
Jakobson does not believe in a defence component for the European Union. He says that because of the uncertainty of the passage of the proposed EU constitution and its security guarantees, "the EU cannot be trusted as a defence policy entity even to the limited extent that was the case before."
      Jakobson said that he hopes that the government of Matti Vanhanen (Centre) would follow in the footsteps of former Prime Minister Kalevi Sorsa (SDP) and implement a programme of economic revitalisation. He proposes the establishment of a secret cabinet of seven people to discuss ways of improving competitiveness and preserving welfare services. In his view, public debate will not bring the needed compromises, and more confidential discussions are needed.
      "The cabinet would have seven people whose expertise, intelligence, and patriotism can be trusted", Jakobson said on Wednesday.
      In the book Jakobson does not explain why all of the seven people he proposes are men; not even President Tarja Halonen is included in the group.
      The proposed cabinet would include Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen, outgoing Nokia Chairman and CEO Jorma Ollila, Social Democratic Party leader Eero Heinäluoma, Lauri Ihalainen, the President of the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK), Christoffer Taxell, President of the Confederation of Finnish Industries, Erkki Liikanen, Governor of the Bank of Finland, and former Prime Minister Esko Aho, president of the Finnish National Fund for Research and Development (SITRA).


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Former Foreign Trade Minister Pertti Salolainen calls for NATO membership (18.5.2005)

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