Tarja Halonen intends to hold on to presidential powers in foreign policy

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President Tarja Halonen does not feel uncomfortable, even though the Foreign Minister of the new Government will not be a Social Democrat.
      "The government will certainly choose a competent person who is ready to act according to the spirit of the constitution, and in President-led cooperation with the government", Halonen assumed in an interview with the media in Tampere on Sunday.
     
President Halonen intends to hold on to her right to participate in the summit meetings of the European Union even during the next government term.
      In the President's view, the problem of Finland's multiple representation in EU affairs has been drummed up largely by the media.
      "It will be interesting to see what the media's attitude towards the issue is in the future. Does it depend on the makeup of the government or on whom the President is, or whether or not it really is just constitutional interest from their part?" Halonen pondered.
     
"The President as well as the government have to observe the legislation in force, and I oppose certain people's own interpretations in the matter", Halonen stressed.
      Halonen noted further that no changes to policies concerning the powers of the President should be made before the next six-year term of office that will start in 2012.
     
Regarding Finland's participation in the exercises of the NATO Response Force, Halonen has taken the same view as Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen (Centre) and the current Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja (SDP), who will shortly be resigning his post after seven years in the job:
      Finland should first gather some experience in the EU rapid action forces, while so far, no commitment to NRF missions has been made. Moreover, the country itself is to make a decision case by case on whether or not to participate in NRF exercises in the future.
     
Furthermore, President Halonen feels that the EU and NATO should cut some overlapping operations, particularly in the rapid deployment forces.
      "Most EU member states are also members of NATO. All unnecessary overlaps should be avoided, in order that the limited resources could be used to achieve the most effective results", Halonen concluded.
     
Prior to her election to the Presidency in 2000, Halonen served in the government of Paavo Lipponen as Minister for Foreign Affairs, and was a Social Democrat MP.
      Commentators are already speculating on what changes, if any, will follow from the presence of a National Coalition Party representative on the foreign desk in the new centre-right government of Matti Vanhanen.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Majority of people would retain Presidential powers (8.2.2007)
  Opposition calls for clarification of Finnish EU affairs´ management (16.6.2006)
  Finland to be invited into NATO rapid action force at Riga summit (29.11.2006)

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