NEWS ANALYSIS: Foreign policy family ties put to test

Core group split over government report

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By Kari Huhta
     
      The Finnish government is approaching the halfway point of its term. At the age of nearly two years, the government has clearly reached middle age. It is apparent just by looking at it, that it has lived a full life, and that personal relations have also been put to the test.
      The years have been especially cruel to the core group involved in security policy. The group includes ministers, as well as the President and leaders of the opposition.
      Relations had to endure wear and tear especially in the drafting of the recently completed government report on security policy.
      Hours of sitting behind closed doors apparently did not bring the inner circle, organised as the foreign and security policy committee, any closer to each other.
     
The core group does not look the same as it did at the beginning of the journey, and in fact, it is not completely the same.
      In the autumn of 2007, after work on the report had already begun, assessments of the core group in foreign policy had to start from the opposition side, the Social Democrats, to include former Prime Minister Paavo Lipponen and former Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja. Both vocally guarded their own foreign policy legacy against an invasion by ministers of the National Coalition Party.
      As the report was completed, neither had anything to say that would have had any impact.
      As they faded away, the role of the Social Democrats has become rather weak in foreign policy - an area that the party long protected as its special field of expertise.
     
Also missing from the picture now is Ilkka Kanerva (Nat. Coalition Party), whose promising start as Foreign Minister was cut short by a sudden resignation in April caused by careless text messages. The lesson from this was that those in the core foreign policy team can be changed in midstream if desired.
      Others continued to live as before, but changes brewed under the surface.
     
Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen (Centre) started to raise his profile.
      According to various sources, in the final phases of the work on the report, Vanhanen defended the draft text of the civil servants. This means that he must have disagreed with President Tarja Halonen.
      Halonen, for her part, has been reserved in her public statements on foreign policy, and has not felt a need to badger Minister of Defence Jyri Häkämies (Nat. Coalition Party) within earshot of the children.
     
Great emotions have found a new target in Alexander Stubb (Nat. Coalition Party), who replaced Kanerva as Minister for Foreign Affairs.
      Stubb has carefully nurtured a good public relationship with Halonen, because foreign policy continues to be led in cooperation with the President. Nevertheless, some tensions must exist.
      The public image of foreign policy has become more centred on the Minister for Foreign Affairs. This has not been the general practice in Finland, especially when the person in question is a pro-NATO EU federalist with a liking for the USA.
     
A great reaction brings a great counter-reaction, which comes from Stubb’s own ministry. Foreign Trade and Development Minister Paavo Väyrynen (Centre) is attacking his ministerial colleague with exceptionally strong and open language, in articles published in Helsingin Sanomat, among other media.
      What have the attacks led to? Nothing for now. Has prizefighter Väyrynen, who has been knocked onto the canvas so many times before, tried to make one comeback too many?
      The wait continues. The bell will ring in just over two weeks at the latest.
     
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 1.2.2009


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Vanhanen: Security report is no foreign policy bible (23.12.2008)
  Tensions flare up between main government parties (2.2.2009)
  Former Foreign Minister Tuomioja: Foreign policy leadership adrift (14.10.2008)
  Policy differences emerge between ministers at Foreign Ministry (13.10.2008)

KARI HUHTA / Helsingin Sanomat
kari.huhta@hs.fi