Vanhanen: no point in hankering for purely European military alliance
Prime Minister feels Finland should encourage continued US interest in Europe
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Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen, who is to be nominated as the Centre Party's candidate in the upcoming Presidential elections, feels that there is no point in seeking to set up a purely European military alliance that would overlap with NATO, or compete with it.
Speaking on Monday at the summer meeting of the Centre Party's Parliamentary group in Seinäjoki, Vanhanen said that Finland should seek to maintain the interest of the United States in Europe and its defence.
The weakening of EU security guarantees during the crisis linked with the EU constitution does not, in Vanhanen's view, create a security deficit which would make it necessary to seek NATO membership.
By coming out in favour of transatlantic cooperation, Vanhanen differed with the National Coalition Party's upcoming Presidential candidate Sauli Niinistö, who has spoken in favour of EU security guarantees.
Finland's defence decisions are not, in Vanhanen's view, linked with the fate of the EU constitution. Even though the EU's common defence is mentioned in the constitution, "nobody has seriously proposed its implementation", Vanhanen said.
"A European military alliance is not in sight, and it will not emerge as long as the EU countries continue to feel that the historical commitment of North America to the defence of Europe is desirable." Vanhanen added that there is a broad consensus about this in Europe.
Vanhanen also rejected views expressed during the weekend by veteran diplomat and journalist Max Jakobson, who suggested that Finland should join NATO because the EU constitution with its mutual security guarantees might never actually take effect.
"The security of Finland's immediate surroundings has developed in a positive direction. External military threats have not been at the forefront of hazards facing Finland for a long time. Membership in a military alliance, or possibly even the establishment of a new alliance, requires more extensive justifications than that of an assumed security deficit", Vanhanen said.
Prime Minister Vanhanen also took a jab at National Coalition Party chairman Jyrki Katainen, who has said that remaining non-allied gives Finland a security deficit in the fight against terror as well. According to Vanhanen, NATO membership would not enhance anti-terror efforts, which largely involve cooperation among police forces.
"The EU has a much more varied set of measures in the fight against terrorism than NATO does", Vanhanen said. He mentioned development cooperation and crisis management.
Reacting to Vanhanen's speech, Niinistö said that the Prime Minister and the government have changed their minds twice: first they opposed the security guarantees because of Finland's non-allied status, and then they were swallowed as part of the EU constitution. Now, Niinistö says that Vanhanen appears to have lost his faith in them again.
"History has shown that small nations have a chronic security deficit", said Niinistö, who was reached by telephone.
He added that if the EU constitution does not take effect, Finland should continue to promote defence cooperation with other EU countries.
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 23.8.2005 - TODAY |
 Vanhanen: no point in hankering for purely European military alliance |
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