Oligarchs Researchers: The Finnish elite should not have gone so far in cooperating with the oligarchs

The elite studied by a professor of political science Ilkka Ruostetsaari says that the Finnish elite should not have gone so deep in their cooperation with the Russian oligarchs in the 21st century.

“In retrospect, there was a lot of blue-eyedness here,” says Ruostetsaari.

HS said on Sunday how an oligarch was run from Tapiola in Espoo for more than a decade Gennadi Timtšenkon a company that supplied Russian oil to the world. In the article former CFO of the company Harri Mikkola and documents obtained by HS reveal how oil money seems to have flowed to the Russian president Vladimir Putin wallet.

Read more: A name “never to be seen anywhere” – Documents and a source interviewed by HS reveal how a network of billions has turned to Tapiola in Espoo, leading to Vladimir Putin

Professor Emeritus of Corruption and Management Ethics Ari Salminen signs Ruostetsaari’s view of the activities of the Finnish elite.

“That statement is easy to sign when you see how this unhealthy system has evolved,” says Salminen.

He notes that wisdom in retrospect is easy, but also asks if one should not have seen how a huge number of billionaires were suddenly born in Russia based on the unhealthy use of natural resources for private gain.

“The question is, shouldn’t it have been left out of it for some amount on moral grounds. Is it the case that economic values ​​were so big that it was blinding? We’ve been involved in that game, we can’t handle it with pure flour, “says Salminen.

“A scientist can say anything, but yes, people in politics and economics have to do this laundry,” he continues.

Rust Island According to him, the attitude towards the oligarchs was a continuation of the attitude traditionally prevailing in Finland towards Russia and the Soviet Union.

“The Finnish elite saw economic opportunities in Russia. This had already continued in the post-war bilateral trade, and it was not seen as a qualitatively new thing, ”says Ruostetsaari.

“This phenomenon is not limited to the elite, but extensively affects the corporate sector. A deal was made here. From today’s point of view, it would have been worthwhile not to go so deeply in cooperation with the Russian oligarchs, but that is largely an afterthought. Admittedly, speeches were made on Fennovoima’s nuclear power in particular. ”

Salmisen according to the oligarchs system is very skilfully built. Its operation is very difficult to take to court because the system may formally operate in accordance with the law.

“We have had very little or no ethical debate about this. The authorities may have been there, but the messages have been fragmented, and there has been no clear picture of whether this can be involved. ”

However, Salminen wonders why the companies’ own units investigating ethics and the purity of money did not warn those working with the oligarchs.

“Participating in such a network is easily left to the individual’s own moral judgment, and it continues until there is a particularly strong signal from the outside that this is not happening. And now a very strong signal came, ”he says, referring to the war in Ukraine.

“Blue-eyed is a pretty old saying. However, it could be assumed that the top Finnish international individuals in these circles would have seen when there were no more clean papers in circulation or there were significant ethical problems. ”

Ruotsetsaari would not go on to compare operations with Finnishization. It refers especially to the 1970s, when Finnish politicians allowed the Soviet Union to influence Finland’s domestic policy.

“Traditionally, the concept of Finnishization includes the political influence of another country, but I do not know if the oligarchs have tried to influence Finnish politics. I don’t think they threatened the political organization. The Finns themselves pursued their own commercial interests. ”

Rust Island notes that the large Russian market has attracted the interest of the Finnish business world.

“A good point of comparison can be found in London, which can be considered a nesting place for Russian oligarchs. Yes, Russian money is worth it there as well. In this sense, Finland has not been an exception. ”

However, Ruostetsaari believes that there have long been alarming signs of Russia’s actions.

“Russia invaded Georgia already in 2008 and the Crimean War was in 2014. There were signs of where Russia was developing, namely how democracy in the country was shrinking and the rule of law was weakening,” says the professor of political science.

“Perhaps, however, the development seemed to be so slow that we too could believe that Russia would integrate into the West, not only in terms of business but also in terms of values.”

Rustetsaari says that a very common international line all the way to the EU has been for business to consolidate and reduce political operations.

Professor Emeritus Salminen also understands that the idea of ​​peace was involved in economic relations.

“It wasn’t a crazy idea until some time ago,” says Salminen.

“Now we know what that situation was, but it was an interesting aspect in the oligarchs that on a relatively thin basis, these Timtchenko got Finnish citizenship,” says Ruostetsaari.

Which Finnish decision-makers should be put to shame for their actions with the oligarchs in the 21st century?

“I wouldn’t want to put any individual on the stigma. In general, with a few exceptions, there were quite blue-eyed people in Finland, just like in many other countries. Germany was even more blue-eyed, and Sweden was more blue-eyed than Finland in defense policy, ”says Ruostetsaari.