Security policy HS data: Finland’s NATO decision-making process begins with the study of security of supply

Government submits a report to Parliament, which plays a key role when political decision-makers consider the change in Finland’s foreign and security policy during the spring.

According to HS data, the report reviews, among other things, what economic and security-related measures Finland needs to take urgently due to the war in Ukraine.

The main purpose of the report is to ensure that Parliament has sufficient information and a systematic process to discuss foreign and security policy decisions that may have an impact on Finland’s foreign and security policy for decades.

“The report also provides a framework for the NATO debate,” an HS source said. According to HS, the preparation takes three weeks.

Prime minister Sanna Marin (sd) confirmed the preparation of the report during his visit to Estonia on Monday.

Parliamentary the committees and parties will begin to discuss the report after the completion of the report and, in some cases, on an urgent schedule, both the acute preparedness situation and the change in the security policy line.

Several sources say that during this debate, the state leadership is unlikely to share its views on NATO membership, for example.

The reason is that it is quite difficult for parties to genuinely discuss NATO membership if, for example, the president and prime minister had shared their views in one way or another.

The strong views of the state leadership could lead to a problematic conflict if Parliament decides, even in part, differently from the foreign policy leadership.

In general, and especially now in Finland, a broad consensus is being sought in security policy. Russia could also cause disruption to Finland if Finland’s position, especially for applying for NATO membership, were obvious at an early stage.

Is it is also expected that the SDP or the Center, for example, will not report their position to NATO at a rapid pace.

Sdp party secretary Antton Rönnholm said in Helsingin Sanomat on Friday that the party will hold an internal discussion on its security policy positions, but it is not worth waiting for new guidelines immediately.

“I think it is a hint of an unreasonable and even daring demand that in an acute crisis, the party push gas past the state leadership, which is investigating these issues and is up to date,” Rönnholm said.

Read more: The party secretary of the SDP explains why the party has not published its NATO position: “A daring demand”

Of the Republic president Sauli Niinistö has emphasized the role of parliament in the foreign and security policy decisions now being made.

However, Niinistö’s vision will ultimately play a bigger role than anyone else both during the process and especially in the final decision.

The NATO position is not decided by Niinistö alone, the government or even the parliament, but it needs the support of everyone.

The key role is played by the people, whose feelings will be measured several times during the spring. The more people support NATO membership, the greater the pressure on politicians to apply to NATO.

Read more: 48 percent of Finns support NATO membership, and the number of opponents dropped to about a quarter

Read more: Researcher: Citizens have taken the lead in the NATO debate from politicians

The application however, leaving is not just a Finnish issue.

All NATO countries must accept Finland as a member. The word of the United States weighs the most, but it is useless for Finland to send an application without clear prior information about the position of Britain, Germany, France and Turkey, for example.

A NATO application would hardly be made at a time when negotiations are under way on a solution to the war in Ukraine or even a ceasefire. According to HS sources, Finland’s NATO application is not intended to jeopardize peace talks. A sensitive situation can persist for a long time.

“Of course we have to think about how we keep our own skin safe without throwing gasoline into the flames of war when everyone else is trying to put it out. This is the dilemma, but this debate only needs to take place in this political process, ”said the Speaker of the Parliament. Matti Vanhanen In an interview with HS last week.

Read more: Russia made a huge mistake in showing that its word cannot be trusted, says President Vanhanen

Moving there are many pieces and a NATO application is not the only solution.

Finland needs to look at the extent of Europe’s own security co-operation. It will be discussed at the EU summit next weekend.

The other is the United States. President Niinistö visited the United States this weekend. He said that security and defense co-operation between Finland and the United States would be intensified, but did not say how.

“The intention is to set in motion on a process basis, without now identifying any proposals for security and defense cooperation that will come under discussion. It became very clear that NATO’s open door policy will continue and that the United States considers it important, ”Niinistö said at a news conference on Friday.

Read more: Co-operation between Finland and the USA is intensifying, Niinistö said after meeting at Biden’s White House – “NATO’s open door policy continues”

HS sources estimate that Niinistö and the President of the United States Joe Biden hardly decided on an exact secret outcome that would only be finalized in the forthcoming negotiations.

Finland’s solution may still be EU co-operation and various bilateral agreements as NATO membership.

Government a ministerial working group on preparedness is also due to be decided this week. This grapple of Ukraine would probably be pulled by the Minister of Finance Annika Saarikko (middle).

It is reported that the group has met once to consider an amending budget due to the war in Ukraine. The supplementary budget is likely to include money for at least the Defense Forces, agriculture and cyber security.

The ministerial working group would prepare issues related to security of supply and finances for decision by the government.

Government Among other things, the report, which is being prepared, will look concretely at how Finland must prepare for the rise in the price of energy and raw materials and the possible shortage, as well as thousands of refugees, replenishment of medicines and many other things.

Preparations for the economic and security of supply report have already begun in several ministries. The government has discussed, among other things, how much money Finland will use to strengthen its cyber security, ie its ability to fight attacks on information networks.

Yet It is open to what extent the report considers how the security situation in Finland will change in the longer term due to Russia’s hostilities and what it will take to do in foreign and security policy.

However, a possible security policy component is not just a NATO report or a state leadership perception of NATO, HS sources say. HS interviewed about ten sources from the government and parliament.

There has also been a debate on making a separate report on security policy.

A more likely option is for the report to act as a stimulus for further work by the committees and for the committees to request further input from officials and research institutes.

This would ensure that the main arena for security policy debate is Parliament and not the government or the Presidential Palace.