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Finnish Foreign Policy: Pragmatic Adjustment to a Changing World Order

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Foreign Policy Change in Europe Since 1991

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Abstract

Analyzing Finnish foreign policy, this chapter detects elements of both change and continuity. The EU is now undoubtedly the main reference group; Finland has edged closer to NATO, and Finland contributes actively to various crisis management missions. Finland is simply much more present in international politics than before. Relations with Russia remain highly salient for Finland, in terms of both security policy and trade. Nordic cooperation is very much intact, particularly in the form of bilateral security agreements with Sweden. Despite parliamentarization of foreign policy decision-making, there is overall broad partisan consensus regarding major foreign and security policy choices. Underlining the Finnish appreciation of consensus is the belief that such a small country is vulnerable if it shows internal differences of views, especially when dealing with Russia. Concerns about national security, regional stability, and being left alone and vulnerable may not always be publicly aired, but they lie behind Finland’s choices since the early 1990s.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The term ‘Finlandization’ was coined to denote ‘adaptive acquiescence’, whereby a weaker power endures infringements by a larger power in order to protect its key interests. For Finland, these were independence, democracy, and integration into Western markets. (Mouritzen, 1988; see Forsberg & Pesu, 2016).

  2. 2.

    Puolustusministeriö, Suomalainen rauhanturvaaminen 60 vuotta, 5.2.2016 (http://www.defmin.fi/ajankohtaista/tiedotteet/suomalainen_rauhanturvaaminen_60_vuotta.7658.news).

  3. 3.

    The Constitution of Finland, 11 June, 1999 (731/1999). An English translation is available at http://www.finlex.fi/en/laki/kaannokset/1999/en19990731.pdf.

  4. 4.

    Laki Suomen osallistumisesta Yhdistyneiden kansakuntien ja Euroopan turvallisuus- ja yhteistyöjärjestön päätökseen perustuvaan rauhanturvaamistoimintaan (1565/95).

  5. 5.

    Rauhanturvaamislaki (750/2000).

  6. 6.

    Laki sotilaallisesta kriisinhallinnasta (211/2006)/The Act on Military Crisis Management (211/2006) (http://www.finlex.fi/fi/laki/kaannokset/2006/en20060211.pdf).

  7. 7.

    The number of crisis management personnel, excluding rotation personnel and personnel in training, must not exceed 2000. In recent years the number of personnel has dropped and stabilized at around 400–500, largely because the operations have become more expensive. See Findicator, International military crisis management, http://www.findikaattori.fi/en/100.

  8. 8.

    Also, when discussing various security policy issues, the political debates often center around the implications for Finland’s international position and defense capability. For example, parliamentary debates on crisis management have often focused on the effects the operations will have on either the defense forces or on Finland’s ‘non-aligned’ status, not so much on the actual operations (Koivula & Sipilä, 2011). The same applied to the long process of Finland joining the Ottawa Mine Ban Treaty in November 2011 (Pesu, 2017a). Both Rieker (2004) and Wivel (2014) make the broader point about Finland seeing international operations as a way for improving its defense capabilities.

  9. 9.

    The reports are available at http://www.defmin.fi/julkaisut_ja_asiakirjat/suomen_turvallisuus-_ja_puolustuspoliittiset_selonteot. Only the Green League is against compulsory military service, arguing instead in favor of a more selective model such as those used in Germany and Sweden.

  10. 10.

    Long-term partner countries include Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Nepal, Nicaragua, Tanzania, Vietnam, and Zambia.

  11. 11.

    Reflecting the consensual practices in foreign policy decision-making, the Development Policy Committee, first established in 1979, monitors and evaluates and issues statements on Finnish development policy, focusing particularly on enhancing policy coherence. It brings together representatives of political parties, NGOs engaged in development cooperation, the relevant ministries, the business community, researchers, the agricultural sector, and trade unions.

  12. 12.

    Addressing the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington in September 2007, the Minister of Defence Jyri Häkämies remarked that “Finland is privileged to be located in one of the safest corners of the world. However, given our geographical location, the three main security challenges for Finland today are Russia, Russia and Russia”. The speech, titled ‘Finland: similar yet different’, is available at https://www.defmin.fi/en/topical/speeches/minister_of_defence_jyri_hakamies_at_csis_in_washington.3335.news?663_o=10.

  13. 13.

    See figures by Finnish Customs available at https://www.stat.fi/tup/suoluk/suoluk_kotimaankauppa_en.html, and https://tulli.fi/en/statistics.

  14. 14.

    http://yle.fi/uutiset/us_think_tank_not_everyone_cares_for_the_nordic_know-it-all_attitude/6571358.

  15. 15.

    Taking stock, moving forward. Report to the Foreign Ministry of Finland on the 2012 Elections to the United Nations Security Council”, April 2013. International Peace Institute, https://www.ipinst.org/images/pdfs/130406-UNSC_Elections_Report_Final.pdf. However, the Nordic Image was probably not the main reason for not getting the Security Council seat (Seppä & Tervo, 2020).

  16. 16.

    ABDI polls are available at https://www.defmin.fi/en/tasks_and_activities/media_and_communications/the_advisory_board_for_defence_information_abdi/bulletins_and_reports.

  17. 17.

    Recent agreements and memoranda are available at https://www.defmin.fi/ajankohtaista/kansainvaliset_sopimukset.

  18. 18.

    Suomen turvallisuus- ja puolustuspolitiikka 2009. Valtioneuvoston selonteko, VNS 11/2009VNS 11/2009, 56.

  19. 19.

    Yhdistyneiden Kansakuntien yleiskokouksen kolmas erityisistunto sekä kuudestoista istuntokausi ja sen jatkoistunto. Helsinki: Ulkoasiainministeriön julkaisuja 1962, pp. 165–166. The most famous Finnish ‘physician’ is undoubtedly Martti Ahtisaari, a long-standing diplomat who also served as the Finnish president from 1994 to 2000. After the presidency, he founded the Crisis Management Initiative (CMI) and in 2008, Ahtisaari was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his contributions to Namibian independence, Serbia’s withdrawal from Kosovo, and the autonomy for Aceh in Indonesia.

  20. 20.

    Helsingin Sanomat, 6 July 2015, “Niinistö: Suomi jätettiin yksin Venäjä-ratkaisun kanssa”, http://www.hs.fi/politiikka/a1436145697408?ref=hs-art.artikkeli; Hufvudstadsbladet, 7 July 2015, “Niinistö: Finland satt i en rävsax”, http://hbl.fi/nyheter/2015-07-07-762030/niinisto-finland-satt-i-en-ravsax.

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  1. Tampere University, Tampere, Finland

    Tapio Raunio

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  1. Ghent Institute for International Studies, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium

    Jeroen K. Joly

  2. Ghent Institute for International Studies, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium

    Tim Haesebrouck

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Raunio, T. (2021). Finnish Foreign Policy: Pragmatic Adjustment to a Changing World Order. In: Joly, J.K., Haesebrouck, T. (eds) Foreign Policy Change in Europe Since 1991. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-68218-7_5

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