Vanhanen seen to take background role in foreign affairs

President Halonen takes dominant role in foreign and security policy committee

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The government's ministerial committee on foreign and security policy has been seen as one indication of how Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen has taken a back seat in foreign affairs.
      The President of the Republic is entitled to take part in the meetings "whenever issues require it". Even then, the President presides over the meetings only in issues that fall under the President's jurisdiction. However, in practice, President Tarja Halonen has clearly taken the dominant role, at the expense of Prime Minister Vanhanen, who is increasingly seen by observers as taking a back seat in foreign affairs.
     
The foreign and security policy committee has not met once during Tarja Halonen's Presidency without the President in attendance. Halonen presides over the meetings always, say civil servants who have followed the activities of the committee.
      The committee has developed into perhaps the most important channel of power for the President. In the committee, the President can decisively influence foreign policy decision-making and European policy, which should be primarily under the control of the Prime Minister.
      Meanwhile, experts increasingly see Prime Minister Vanhanen as being on the outside of foreign policy decision-making, with top civil servants and politicians involved in foreign affairs describing him as incapable of making decisions, while tending to defer to President Halonen.
      Finnish EU civil servants have been especially critical of what they see as Vanhanen's toothlessness with respect to the President.
      One official interviewed by Helsingin Sanomat described Vanhanen's predicament by noting that there is a finite amount of power, which slips away if it is not used. "If you don't make decisions yourself, there is ultimately no need to make them at all, as others will make them."
     
The government now faces a number of important decisions on foreign and security policy, and therefore, the issue of foreign policy authority is far from irrelevant.
      Commentators interviewed by Helsingin Sanomat say that the passive approach of the Prime Minister is probably a combination of his personality, and the fact that he is not particularly interested in foreign affairs and security policy matters.
      A more charitable interpretation might be that Vanhanen is a man of careful consideration, who seeks a consensus. He listens to different views calmly, without leaping to decisions.
      But is this the right approach, considering that the National Coalition Party, which has taken the most important governmental posts linked with foreign affairs, and President Halonen, represent opposite poles in the issues?
      "One would imagine that the Prime Minister might have a strong grip on his government, and on issues considered important, and in promoting those issues. One might imagine that the Prime Minister would be the leader of the group", one civil servant source observes.
      One MP from a government party notes that it is very exceptional for the Prime Minister to have to distance himself from the views of an individual minister, as was the case when Minister of Defence Jyri Häkämies (Nat. Coalition Party) made his controversial speech in the United States earlier this month.
      The MP feels that one government party cannot keep raising its own profile very long; "It should be apparent that the government has one foreign policy. Now there are a few bumps."
     
Vanhanen's hands-off approach has been contrasted with the very different style of former Prime Minister Paavo Lipponen (SDP).
      MP Pekka Haavisto (Green), who served as Minister of the Environment under Lipponen's first government, notes that Lipponen kept close watch over his ministers because he was interested in foreign policy himself.
     
The main opposition party, the Social Democrats, are urging Vanhanen to shape up in foreign affairs.
      "It would be logical to show some leadership", says MP Liisa Jaakonsaari.
      Kimmo Kiljunen, another Social Democratic MP, says that there is even talk about introducing a Parliamentary interpellation against the government over foreign policy.
      This would be a very unusual move, as no foreign policy interpellations have been made in the postwar era.
      Left Alliance Parliamentary group chair Annika Lapintie suggests that Vanhanen's caution could stem from disagreements on a number of issues within Vanhanen's Centre Party.
     
Although the President seems to dominate the government's foreign and security policy committee, various sources say that she and Prime Minister Vanhanen nevertheless work well together. There is only limited experience on how Halonen and the new ministers of the National Coalition Party work together, but according to one source, "there are slightly more discussions".
      The outward appearance is maintained that the Prime Minister has the leading role in the committee. The Prime Minister convenes the committee, although the President could also do it. The agenda is drawn up in the office of the Prime Minister, as are reports on the sessions. Vanhanen - not Halonen - spoke at the press conference after Friday's session.
     
Presidential domination of the committee is nothing new. In decades past, the committee was completely dependent on whether or not the President was in the mood to inform the government about foreign policy.
      Two decisive things happened at the turn of the millennium with respect to the committee.
      One of these was the new constitution, which states that "Finland's foreign policy is led by the President of the Republic in cooperation with the government". Legislation was passed to strengthen the position of the committee.
      Also, the committee got a new table.
      Former Left Alliance chairwoman Suvi-Anne Siimes writes in her memoirs that Prime Minister Paavo Lipponen found it difficult to relinquish a spot at the end of the table in his office to the President during meetings of the committee.
      The solution was a round table. The new seating arrangement got a special significance after the Presidential elections of 2000 when sitting opposite Lipponen was his former Foreign Minister Tarja Halonen. As Foreign Minister she is known to have called for thorough discussion on matters in which Lipponen wanted fast decisions.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Häkämies says Washington speech in line with Finnish policy (10.9.2007)
  Häkämies in Washington: Russia Finland´s greatest challenge (7.9.2007)

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