NATO issue at centre stage in Presidential candidates’ TV debate

Both candidates seek to establish agrarian credentials

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A televised debate between Sauli Niinistö and Tarja Halonen on Wednesday evening became a duel over over Finnish security, security guarantees, and the possibility of joining NATO.
      In the debate, on YLE TV-1, Halonen defended her view that the European Union will come to Finland’s aid in a crisis. Niinistö questioned this, stopping just short of openly supporting NATO membership.
     
Halonen said that the EU will help, because it is a "community of values". She added that a political decision has been made in the EU about security guarantees, even though the implementation of the constitutional treaty containing the guarantees has been delayed.
      Niinistö insisted that no security guarantees actually exist. Making reference to the Winter War, he said that in the face of an international conflict, other nations primarily protect themselves, and their allies.
      Halonen noted that a classic war is not a real threat facing Finland. The threats are more modern, and require combined civilian and military crisis management, which is what the EU has agreed upon.
     
Niinistö then asked why the "NATO option" - the possibility to join NATO, as Halonen defined it - is necessary, if "everything is all right". Halonen responded, saying that it would be foolish to declare that Finland will never join. She added, however, that it is not topical at the moment, and that maybe the people will want to join NATO some day.
      Halonen drew the conclusion in the debate that Niinistö supports NATO membership, and she does not. Niinistö responded, saying that the issue would be decided by referendum.
     
Also discussed in the debate was increasing inequality and poverty in Finland.
      In Niinistö’s view, in periods of rapid growth, the economic benefits first go to a small group of people, but the wealth later spreads more evenly.
      Halonen saw this as a neo-liberal view. She said that the even distribution should begin at the same time with growth, so that all employees could live on their wages.
      Journalists asked the candidates questions about agriculture and the countryside. Niinistö revealed that when he was young he had spent time at a cousin’s farm. Halonen said that one of the members of her family became a pig farmer through marriage.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Presidential candidates discuss NATO, work, and language issues (13.1.2006)

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