The major Nordic nation will soon have a new leader after Alexander Stubbe narrowly defeated his opponent in the run-off election to become Finland’s next president. Most of Finland’s executive power rests with the prime minister, but unlike most European countries, the presidency is not merely ceremonial. The president is responsible for foreign policy, national security issues, and military defense. This makes Mr. Stubb’s selection even more important for a major reason: Finland’s relationship with NATO.
Finland is the newest member of the North Atlantic Alliance, having joined the alliance less than a year ago following the concerted efforts of the current Finnish president, Sauli Niinisto. However, Finland’s membership is of vital importance to the European Union and all Western allies, given that Finland borders and shares borders with Russia, and Russia’s war against Ukraine has reached almost two years. There is.
Stubbe, a former prime minister of Finland, is part of a centre-right coalition, and his opponent, Pekka Haavisto, ran as an independent, but the two sides generally agree on foreign policy. This was especially true when dealing with Russia and expanding Finland’s global influence through NATO. If Mr. Stubb takes office, how will his presidency affect Finland’s partnerships with the world’s major military alliances?
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Ann Kaulanen told Reuters that Stubb’s campaign was “built on a promise to make the most of his country’s new NATO membership and support Ukraine in its war against neighboring Russia.” Stated. “It’s very important that we in Europe work on defending ourselves,” Stubbe told the same media before the run-off, echoing Niinistö’s opinion that the world needs a “more European NATO.” He said he agreed.
Erika Solomon and Joanna Remola told the New York Times that if it weren’t for the Russia situation, the presidential election “would have attracted little attention beyond the Nordic countries.” However, Finland shares the single longest land border with Russia (830 miles), and how Finland responds to Russian aggression will depend on how it responds to “a changing geopolitical order, and with European and American allies.” of particular interest to the United States,” Solomon and Remora said. When Finland joined NATO in April 2023, it marked a sharp break from decades of non-aligned relations and brought to the forefront “the risks and responsibilities of the country’s new position in the world.” .
As head of state, Mr. Stubbe will also command the Finnish military, and many Finnish news outlets have stated that “Russian aggression puts Europe’s security at risk like never before since World War II.” ” Yari Tanner told The Associated Press. As tensions rise, Stubb said his priorities include “maintaining a tough stance against Russia and its current leadership, strengthening security ties with the United States, and the need to support Ukraine on both the military and civilian levels.” ”, Tanner said.
According to the Associated Press, the Finnish newspaper Irta Sanomat said in an editorial that if Mr. Stubb takes office, he will be “a president of difficult times, perhaps a wartime president.” Charlie Duxbury also told Politico that Mr. Stubb has worked to promote peace through NATO, but is seen as slightly more “hawkish” on Russia than Mr. Hervist. Mr. Duxbury noted that Mr. Haavisto “opposed the presence of nuclear weapons on Finnish territory, while Mr. Stubbe said that under certain circumstances nuclear weapons might be necessary” and that “Mr. appeared to be more open than Mr. Haavisto to allowing a Finnish military presence in the strategically important Baltic Islands. of Aland Island. ”
What’s next?
Mr. Stubb will be sworn in as president on March 1. Some point out that under Finland’s new administration, Russia is likely to step up its invasion soon in an effort to solidify its footing against Mr. Stubb. Charlie Saronius Pasternak, a researcher at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, told Swedish newspaper Expressen: “The authorities should be aware that there is a good chance that Russia will try to test Finland in some way.” he said.
One person who seemed satisfied with the election result was Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who congratulated Mr. Stubbe on his victory. “Ukraine and Finland stand in solidarity with other partners to strengthen the security of all Europe and the countries of the continent,” President Zelenskiy said. I wrote to X. “I look forward to moving our bilateral relationship forward and developing our shared vision of a free, united and well-defended Europe.”
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