Most parliamentary candidates reject NATO and trust in conscript army

HS candidate selection engine asks about defence issues

print this

Seven out of ten Parliamentary candidates responding to questions for the candidate selection engine on the Helsingin Sanomat website feel that Finland should retain its system of conscription, and that the country should remain outside NATO.
      Most of the chairs of the parties in Parliament were in agreement on the issue, including Matti Vanhanen (Centre), Eero Heinäluoma (SDP), Tarja Cronberg (Green), Martti Korhonen (Left), Päivi Räsänen (Christ. Dem.), and Timo Soini (True Finn).
      Heinäluoma, Cronberg, and Korhonen emphasised in their answers that the defence question is important.
      "NATO membership is not topical in the next Parliamentary term, but cooperation in crisis management, among other things, is possible", Heinäluoma explains.
      "We need a credible defence, but in the future we will need fewer conscripts", Cronberg estimates.
     
Sixteen per cent of candidates would join NATO, while retaining universal male conscription. These include two party chairs - Jyrki Katainen of the National Coalition Party, and Stefan Wallin of the Swedish People’s Party. Wallin complained that the selection engine did not offer an option that he would have been completely satisfied with.
      "I do not believe that Finland’s relationship with NATO will change during the next electoral term", Wallin ponders. In his view, membership requires the support of the people, which is not to be found at present.
     
In the Helsinki electoral district, 37 candidates, a full 18 per cent, want Finland to stay out of NATO and abolish conscription. Nationally the figure was 12 per cent.
      Of the Helsinki candidates opposed to both NATO and conscription, nine were Green, another nine were from the Left Alliance. Of the parties in Parliament, there were two Swedish People’s Party candidates, and three Social Democrats who felt the same way. The rest were from small parties without Parliamentary representation.
      Paavo Arhinmäki (Left Alliance) said that NATO aims primarily at securing the interests of rich countries. He feels that Finland could give up conscription "by degrees". Anni Sinnemäki (Green) felt that "part of the male and female age group" could be called up for military service.
      A majority of Helsinki candidates - 57 per cent - would stay out of NATO while retaining conscription.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Candidates: Globalisation is predominantly beneficial to Finland (19.2.2007)

Helsingin Sanomat