President Halonen defends system of two representatives at EU summits

President attends Alliance of Civilisations meeting in Istanbul

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President Tarja Halonen is satisfied with current Finnish practice, under which both the Prime minister and the President take part in summit meetings of the European Union.
      “We are a small country, and if we are allowed two seats - and everyone knows that it is in line with our constitution - then why would we cut back?” Halonen asked during a visit to Turkey on Tuesday.
     
The President met a group of Finnish journalists in Turkey, after taking part in a meeting of the Alliance of Civilisations in Istanbul.
      The joint appearance of President Halonen and Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen (Centre) at the summit was criticised most recently on Sunday, after the US-EU summit in Prague.
      In Prague both Halonen and Vanhanen were denied the possibility to speak before the gathering, and there has been speculation that this may have had something to do with the fact that both leaders had put in requests to be put on the speakers’ list.
      “In the background [of the criticism] is the fact that the constitution of 2000 was a compromise, and some what to change that compromise.”
     
The Nobel Peace Prize, which was won by former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari is seen as an indication of how well Finnish foreign policy works, in the view of President Halonen:
     “This time the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize did not need to be brought in from prison or from exile abroad. He had been the president of the society in question, and a diplomat with decades of experience.”
      However, she added that Finland could be bolder in the foreign affairs arena. She says that it could be possible to grab on to various initiatives without waiting for others, and without fear of risks.
     
President Halonen’s visit and the meeting of the alliance coincided with the visit to Turkey by US President Barack Obama. It was Obama’s first visit to a predominantly Muslim country during his presidency.
     Halonen felt that Obama’s visit was a positive development, and was surprised at the controversy raised by his comments on the EU. Obama had called on the European Union to accept Turkey as its member.
     Halonen noted that every US President has done the same. Obama simply wanted to show that US policy had not changed. However, she also said that she understood the reaction of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who criticised Obama’s comments.
     “From the point of view of some European countries, that was something like suggesting that the United States take on a new state. It is something like interfering with the affairs of others.”
     
One positive aspect of the European visit of President Obama was, in Halonen’s opinion, that the US leadership met with Europeans in different forms, both in NATO and the EU. In Halonen’s view, this shows that Obama does not see Europe as a single mass with just one opinion.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Halonen and Vanhanen meet Obama - briefly (6.4.2009)

Links:
  Alliance of Civilisations

Helsingin Sanomat