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User:EmmaCoop/sandbox/Accession of Finland to NATO

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Finland–NATO relations
Map indicating locations of Finland and NATO

Finland
NATO

The accession of Finland to NATO is the potential enlargement of NATO, a military alliance of 30 states in Europe and Northern America, incorporating Finland as the 31st member state.

History

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In January 2022, Prime Minister Sanna Marin said that "Finland retains the option of applying for NATO membership" in reaction to Russia's demand that NATO stop expanding eastward.[1]

Opinion

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Finnish politics

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NATO membership
Support Oppose Undecided/Other

In the 2000s, Finnish Presidents Tarja Halonen and Mauno Koivisto expressed their opposition to NATO membership, with the former not anticipating a threat from Russia and the latter writing that such membership would harm the relationship between Finland and Russia.[6] Conversely, President Martti Ahtisaari supported Finnish membership in NATO, who argued that Finland should join all the organizations supported by other Western democracies in order "to shrug off once and for all the burden of Finlandization".[7] In the 2006 Finnish presidential election against Halonen, Sauli Niinistö declared his support for NATO membership.[8] In 2014, the National Coalition Party elected a pro-NATO politician in Alexander Stubb as its party leader and, consequently, prime minister of Finland.[9]

In the 2015 Finnish parliamentary election, a majority of candidates opposed NATO membership. Of those who opposed membership, they mostly came from the Social Democratic Party and Centre Party. Meanwhile, the National Coalition Party supported membership.[10]

On 12 June 2016, the National Coalition Party approved a statement that called for an application for NATO membership "in the next few years" while the Swedish People's Party of Finland called for membership in 2025.[3][4]

After the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the conflict resulted in Finnish politicians reconsidering their position on NATO membership.[11] Without declaring their support or opposition, the Left Alliance said a referendum should determine Finland's membership in NATO, a position shared by the Centre Party, but the latter said that membership would need support from a "significant majority".[5] On 31 March, the Finns Party parliamentary group voted 29–3 in favour of NATO membership, with party chair Riikka Purra saying that party MPs would be allowed to vote consciencely should the Finnish Parliament vote on the matter.[2]

Domestic polling

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Date(s) Polling agency Sample NATO membership Lead Ref.
Support Oppose Undecided
9–11 March 2022 Yle 1,378 62% 16% 21% 46% [12]
4–15 March 2022 EVA 2,074 60% 19% 21% 41% [13]
23–25 February 2022 Yle 1,382 53% 28% 19% 25% [14]
3–16 January 2022 Kantar TNS 1,003 28% 42% 30% 14% [15]
20–29 November 2019 Kantar TNS 1,002 20% 56% 24% 36% [16]
16–27 October 2017 Kantar TNS 1,005 22% 59% 19% 37% [17]
9–22 January 2015 EVA 2,056 26% 43% 32% 17% [18]

Russian opposition

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Marin on Nato: Finland should keep options open". Yle. 1 January 2022. Archived from the original on 1 April 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Finns Party parliamentary group backs Nato membership, MPs to be allowed free vote". Yle. 31 March 2022. Archived from the original on 1 April 2022. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Kokoomus päätti Nato-linjastaan: Puolustusliittoon lähivuosina" [National Coalition Party's decision on their NATO policy: Join the Alliance in upcoming years] (in Finnish). Verkkouutiset. 12 June 2016. Archived from the original on 13 June 2016. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  4. ^ a b Harala, Samuli; de Fresnes, Tulikukka (12 June 2016). "RKP on nyt virallisesti Nato-puolue" (in Finnish). Yle. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  5. ^ a b c "Poll: Left Alliance party most in favour of Nato referendum". Yle. 5 March 2022. Archived from the original on 19 March 2022. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  6. ^ Jakobson, Max (16 January 2004). "Finland, NATO, and Russia". Helsingin Sanomat. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  7. ^ "Former President Ahtisaari: NATO membership would put an end to Finlandisation murmurs". Helsingin Sanomat. 15 December 2003. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  8. ^ Bult, Jeroen (3 March 2006). "Finland Debates Its Ties With NATO". World Press Review. Amsterdam. Archived from the original on 2 April 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  9. ^ Rosendahl, Jussi; Suoninen, Sakari (14 June 2014). "Stubb to be Finland's next PM, backs NATO membership". Lahti: Reuters. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  10. ^ Kotkavirta, Johannes (14 March 2015). "Enemmistö eduskuntavaaliehdokkaista vastustaa Natoa". Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 7 August 2020. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  11. ^ "Most Finnish MPs decline to reveal Nato stance". Yle. 8 March 2022. Archived from the original on 27 March 2022. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  12. ^ "Yle poll: Support for Nato membership hits record high". Yle. 14 March 2022. Archived from the original on 1 April 2022. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  13. ^ Haavisto, Ilkka (22 March 2022). "At NATO's Door" (PDF). Finnish Business and Policy Forum – EVA. ISSN 2342-0782. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 April 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  14. ^ "Ylen kysely: Enemmistö suomalaisista kannattaa Suomen Nato-jäsenyyttä" (in Finnish). Yle. 28 February 2022. Archived from the original on 1 April 2022. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  15. ^ Huhtanen, Jarmo (17 January 2022). "Nato-jäsenyyden vastustus putosi ennätyksellisen alas". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 7 March 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  16. ^ Kervinen, Elina (15 December 2019). "Suomalaisilta yhä selvä ei Nato-jäsenyydelle". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 15 December 2019. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  17. ^ Niskakangas, Tuomas (5 November 2017). "HS-gallup: Suomalaiset tyrmäävät Nato-jäsenyyden – mutta onko Suomi jo tiiviimmin Naton kyljessä kuin kansa tajuaakaan?". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 8 March 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  18. ^ "EVAn Arvo- ja asennetutkimuksen ennakkotieto: Nato-kannat muuttuneet myönteisemmiksi" (in Finnish). Finnish Business and Policy Forum – EVA. 3 February 2015. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
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