The 200-seat deputies of the Eduskunta (Finland’s legislature) voted 188 to eight against, on Tuesday, approving Finland’s bid to become a member of the 30-nation Western Military Alliance.
The vote is considered a formality, as Finnish President Sauli Niinistö and Prime Minister Sanna Marin announced their intention last Sunday, and the approval of the deputies was not required.
However, Niinisto and Marin stressed the importance of parliament throwing its weight into the bid to join NATO, which the president called “historic”.
Speculation is that Finland will sign a formal application to join, and will present it at NATO headquarters in the coming days with its northern neighbor, Sweden, where the Stockholm government announced a similar accession bid on Monday.
If Finland joins NATO, it will be the biggest shift in defense and security policy in the history of the country, which has a population of 5.5 million, since World War II, when the country adopted a policy of non-alignment and military neutrality.
Finland, which shares a long border with Russia, fought two battles against Moscow during World War II, losing about 10 percent of its territory.
#Finlands #parliament #votes #overwhelmingly #seek #NATO #membership