HS asked both presidential candidates which issues have received too little attention in the election debate. The coalition's Alexander Stubb highlighted the Supreme Commander-in-Chief as part of NATO membership, peace mediation and an in-depth analysis of the situation in the Middle East.
The coalition presidential candidate Alexander Stubb has displayed a lot of bossiness in the election campaign. In Finland, the President of the Republic is not only the head of foreign policy, but also the Commander-in-Chief of the Defense Forces.
Stubb has been in the army, his opponent Pekka Haavisto (green) no.
However, Stubb has said that because of studying in the United States, he did a shorter eight-month military service. During his service, among other things, he participated in a golf tournament in Spain.
“After the rookie training, I was free every afternoon to train from four to ten. When the guys left at the beginning of February to go to Lapland, our guy went to the national team camp in Spain and Portugal for four weeks,” Stubb's biography states.
In the book, he jokingly calls himself “cannon fodder”.
President Tarja Halonen (sd) Stubb was promoted from private to the second lowest military rank, i.e. corporal, by the minister of defense of the coalition Jyri Häkämiehen from the show.
Stubb says now he would go to NCO school.
“It would have been nice to go all the way to the end.”
Have you ever participated in refresher exercises?
“I haven't, because I've studied abroad and lived abroad.”
Have you found out which class of “cannon fodder” you are in your wartime placement?
“I'm not.”
Stubb's son is currently completing his military service.
“My son and I have agreed that we will not live our own lives through someone else's. However, I made a request to my son, who is completing his service, that I can live off his military service through him. And now I've lived it. There is less than half a year left. I communicate every day, ask questions and get feelings.”
Early voting the presidential election continues on Tuesday. The actual election day is next Sunday. In addition to Stubb, HS also interviewed Haavisto in the final stages of the campaign.
Stubbs has taken a reluctant view of women's compulsory conscription.
“I am open to discussing the topic. Based on the population development, we will manage until 2030. We have six years here to think about how it works. But you have to see what the need is.”
Nowadays, about a thousand women do military service every year. Stubb suggests that in the initial phase there should be general invitations for everyone and a national defense day in schools for 17-year-old schoolchildren, along with a health check.
“It could be that the number of women in conscript service should be around 2,000.”
He says that the number of conscripts would grow too large if both men and women had the same obligation for, say, military service or civil service. This would increase the annual reserve amount from 20,000 to 40,000.
“Our system would not be able to handle that right now.”
A member of the Communist Party Minister of Defense Antti Häkkänen revealed In Kyrönmaa magazine last weekthat he intends to administer the law that prevents leaving the reserve.
Is this the right way to maintain defensive will?
“I disagree with him on this question at this point.”
Stubb emphasizes that Finland's will to defend itself is the highest in Europe, and there is nothing to worry about.
“I have always assumed that every Finn acts in accordance with his own ethical convictions in these matters as well.”
Häkkänen considers leaving the reserve to be unpatriotic. Do you like?
“I'm not going to define it. We Finns are all patriotic in our own way. I'm not going to moralize other people's ways of doing things.”
Russian President Dmitri Medvedev and his spouse paid a state visit to Finland in 2009. Pictured is Medvedev, President Tarja Halonen and Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb.
This for the interview, HS also asked the presidential candidates which issues they think have been talked about too little during the campaign.
Stubb named the commander-in-chief as part of NATO membership, peace mediation and in-depth analysis of the situation in the Middle East.
With Stubb it is a “little dream” that if he became commander-in-chief, he would actively monitor the exercises.
“And maybe I would participate in the marches a little.”
Would you show the rookies how hard the Cooper test has to be?
“I wouldn't pull Cooper because it would be a bit too alpha male. Some such Kirkkojärvi march or some such cycling march or similar, where you could be present, so to speak. I would love to do them.”
Kirkkojärvi's march is a traditional competition of tens of kilometers of the reserve officer course.
Stubbs has proposed that a NATO mini-staff of a few dozen people should come to Finland. There has been no similar proposal from NATO.
Why would Finland's future commander-in-chief know NATO staff matters better than NATO itself?
“I could well imagine that these types of discussions take place in the background without press conferences.”
Have you already lobbied a mini staff in NATO countries?
“No, but of course if I say it publicly, then maybe there is a small hint.”
Do you have classified information about staff discussions?
“Based on my own conclusion about what could potentially be a good solution for NATO. Of course, it may be that this does not happen.”
What would a mini staff do in Finland?
“Through that, defense planning can be done as close as possible to potential conflict targets. There is a reason why US, British or Canadian NATO soldiers want to train in Finland. And because our circumstances are different. Our training capacity has always been strong. They want to learn. And such a staff could very well be involved in the planning of these exercises as well.”
Republic the president's role during the NATO era increases to the extent that he represents Finland at NATO meetings. However, the law does not stipulate that the parliament should receive regular information from the president.
Stubb says that he promises “without a doubt” that he would keep the parliament at least as well informed as the current president Sauli Niinistö, if elected.
Stubb sees two “dimensions” for the early years of Finland's NATO membership.
“First of all, you have to make sure that the parliament stays up-to-date all the time. I don't want any comments from the defense committee about why we are not aware of something.”
The second is the prime minister's role in NATO decision-making, says Stubb.
“At no point should there be a situation where the prime minister has not received all the information. I'm not worried about that.”
Should the president's reporting obligation be written into law?
“I don't see it as necessary at the moment. Let's see how this will work in practice. There is no need to be too legalistic in all questions.”
Alexander Stubb in the OSCE meeting hall in Helsinki in 2008.
When Martti Ahtisaari decided to step down from the management of the CMI organization he founded in 2017, Alexander Stubb took his place.
Stubbs played a central role in the ceasefire of the war in Georgia, because he was the chairman of the European Security and Cooperation Organization OSCE on Finland's turn.
He has acted Martti Ahtisaaren since 2017 as chairman of CMI, the peace institution founded by
Do you want to make peace negotiations a theme because you want to show that you are active in the field of peace, as your rival Haavisto has been?
“I don't want to compare myself to anyone, but after the Cold War, Finns have brokered three peaces. Kosovo, Aceh and Georgia. Ahtisaari operated on the basis of its own maritime rights in Kosovo and Aceh. Me because I happened to be the chairman of the OSCE and we got a ceasefire in Georgia in five days.”
The presidential election towards the end, a discussion has arisen about how much the attitudes of Finns affect the election result. of HS a recent survey according to 40 percent of those voting for Stubb consider the sexual orientation of rival candidate Haavisto inappropriate for the president. Haavisto lives with a man.
Is it possible that you are in a better position in the struggle because you live in a heterosexual relationship?
“I have never looked at it from that point of view. I was in the European Parliament [seksuaali- ja sukupuolivähemmistöjen asiaa ajavan] Vice-president of the LGBT organization. As foreign minister, I was a patron of the Pride march. I was the first signatory of the citizens' proposal for the equal marriage law as a minister. I was Prime Minister when the Marriage Equality Act was passed. In other words, sexual orientation or a person's love or relationship does not affect his ability to deal with matters belonging to the president.”
Correction 6.2. 6:15 a.m.: The story incorrectly said that “HS interviewed not only Haavisto but also Haavisto in the final stages of the campaign”. What was really meant was that HS interviewed not only Stubb but also Haaviston.
Correction 6.2. 8:00 a.m.: In the story, it was wrongly written about the “fireplace” in Georgia. What was really meant was a ceasefire.
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