Prime Minister Kiviniemi: EU should reject preaching over human rights

Social Democrats want to keep human rights at core of foreign policy

Mari Kiviniemi

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Finnish Prime Minister Mari Kiviniemi (Centre) says that the European Union should speak about human rights issues directly and in a constructive manner, but should desist from unnecessary preachiness.
      “Often more can be achieved in human rights questions by choosing the right style. Grabbing on to problematic areas directly is better than a policy of issuing declarations”, Kiviniemi told Helsingin Sanomat.
      Kiviniemi was making reference to the view voiced by Minister for Foreign Affairs Alexander Stubb (Nat. Coalition Party) on Monday. At that time Stubb said that the EU’s influence on growing economies such as China would decline because they are getting tired of being preached at by the EU on human rights.
     
Kiviniemi voiced her assessment of the foreign policy situation on Tuesday at a conference of Finnish ambassadors in Helsinki.
      The focus of Kiviniemi’s statements was on Russia and its position in international politics. She said that Russia is a very important neighbour and trading partner for Finland.
      In her view, Russia is a great power in many respects. She feels that this characterisation is justified by the fact that it is geographically the largest country in the world, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, a G8 country, and a rich energy power.
     
After her speech, Kiviniemi said that she had decided on the topic and content already a few weeks ago.
      “Russia has been in the headlines a good deal in recent months, and that is why I decided to discuss it. The speech would have turned into a crazy quilt if I had handled many topics in it”, Kiviniemi said.
      Kiviniemi had nothing to add to the Russia comments of recent weeks by Stubb and Minister of Finance Jyrki Katainen (Nat. Coalition Party). She noted that the views expressed by Katainen and Stubb, that measured by economic criteria Russia is no longer a great power, represented the views of their party, and not those of the government.
     
The largest opposition party, the Social Democrats, rejected both the views on Russia expressed by the National Coalition Party ministers and the views expressed by Stubb on human rights issues.
      SDP chairwoman Jutta Urpilainen characterised the comments on Russia by Stubb and Katainen as “adventure politics” which is harmful for Finland.
      However, Urpilainen would not specify what harm she thinks their comments have caused. “I would rather turn it around and ask what good has come of it to Finland”, Urpilainen said.
     
SDP Parliamentary group leader Eero Heinäluoma finds Stubb’s approach to human rights questions to be surprising. He feels that pushing the human rights angle into the background would constitute a massive change in Finnish foreign policy.
      “If preaching is appropriate in anything, emphasising human rights is one of them. This is a very profound question of values, where there should be no wavering”, Heinäluoma said, adding that promoting human rights is a “moral backbone of politics”, and that it should be a major goal in foreign policy both in the EU and in Finland.
     
Heinäluoma agreed with Stubb’s view that the EU has work to do in human rights questions of its own.
      “It is important that the EU countries should live as they preach. This is linked with the problems of Rumania’s Roma minority. In Romania it can clearly be seen that the living conditions of the Roma minority are significantly worse than with other population groups”, Heinäluoma said.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Stubb meets British Foreign Secretary (24.8.2010)
  Katainen: Finns jumpy about debate on Russia (20.8.2010)
  Stubb: Relationship with Russia is no “special relationship” (19.8.2010)

Helsingin Sanomat