Finns vote for NATO proposal
Finland and Sweden clear the final political hurdles to apply for NATO membership. And the defense alliance assures admission as soon as possible – only one member expresses doubts.
In Sweden and Finland, the final hurdles to apply for NATO membership have also fallen. Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde has already signed the application for membership. In Finland, after a two-day debate after the head of state, the parliament also voted in favor of membership in the military alliance.
In the Finnish parliament, 188 MPs vote in favor of the application to be admitted to NATO. Only eight MPs spoke out against it. The country’s president, Sauli Niinistö, now has to sign the application before it can be submitted to NATO.
Sweden had not joined a military alliance for more than 200 years, and Finland had been neutral since the end of World War II. However, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, public opinion in both countries swung.
“Historic course setting” for both countries
In Sweden, too, the possible NATO contribution was debated in parliament on Monday. According to Foreign Minister Linde, the application should now be sent to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. “It feels like we made the right decision for Sweden,” she said. Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson announced that Finland and Sweden will jointly submit their applications to NATO on Wednesday.
Sweden’s King Carl XVI. Gustaf stressed his country’s intention to join NATO “simultaneously and in agreement with Finland”. “This is a historic step that we are taking side by side with our brother country,” he said at a press conference with Niinistö in Stockholm.
The challenges posed by Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine meant “opportunities for consensus and deeper cooperation to stand together even more,” the monarch said. Niinistö explained: “Our security policy line has been a similar one for a long time. And even now, when the situation requires it, we are taking our steps together.”
Turkey puts the brakes on membership efforts
Most NATO countries have promised Finland and Sweden admission as soon as possible. However, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is blocking their accession to NATO, citing Finland’s and Sweden’s Kurdish policies.
NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg called on the allies to take Ankara’s demands seriously. “Turkey is a valued ally and all security concerns must be addressed,” Stoltenberg said on Monday evening after talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. “In this historic moment we must stand together.”
Scholz assures quick ratification
Chancellor Olaf Scholz, on the other hand, assured the two potential new NATO members that Germany would work to ensure “that the accession process proceeds very quickly.” The applications from Sweden and Finland are a “historic step for the defense alliance and for Europe”. Both countries would thus react to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and the associated “dramatic change” in the security situation in Europe. At the same time, he praised the decision of the Swedish and Finnish governments to make use of their right to freely choose their alliance by applying for NATO membership.
Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock had previously stressed that she expected the two countries to be quickly admitted to the defense alliance:
“This is a crucial moment. This is a historic moment, but in a highly dramatic situation.”
At the same time, Baerbock acknowledged that concerns about the admission of Sweden and Finland needed to be discussed with Turkey. But “at this moment we, as Europeans, we have to stand by them as democrats,” warned the Green politician. At the same time, this strengthens “our own security”.
