Should Finland become a NATO member, the country would probably have to station troops in the Baltics and participate in policing the Baltic airspace, Janne Kuusela, head of the defense policy department of the Finnish Ministry of Defense, said. “I hold it very likely that Finland will be expected toContinue Reading
Many people have taken to Finnish Twitter this weekend in reaction to MP Erkki Tuomioja‘s (SDP) Nato comments in a National Public Radio interview (siirryt toiseen palveluun). The veteran Finnish politician told the US broadcaster that there was a “huge degree of emotions involved” in the public’s support of Nato,Continue Reading
Nearly half of respondents say they are postponing buying or renovating apartments or holiday homes due to rising interest rates and the global political situation. Feelings of economic uncertainty are increasing among people in Finland, according to the results of a survey commissioned by lobby group Finance Finland (FFI). SomeContinue Reading
The closure of Russian airspace is causing uncertainty in Lapland’s tourism industry, which has relied heavily on travel from Asian countries. The amount of Asian tourists visiting Finnish Lapland has been growing year after year, before stopping completely because of the pandemic. Now, after many travel restrictions have been lifted,Continue Reading
The war in Ukraine is putting a half-a-billion euro dent in the budget. Finance Minister Annika Saarikko (Cen) on Saturday said the war in Ukraine is impacting Finland’s public finances. And mutual sanctions are hurting Finnish economy. “The fiscal framework agreed last spring will be respected in all areas otherContinue Reading
Prime Minister Sanna Marin (SDP) on Saturday said any potential Finnish bid to join Nato would have to be made before summer. Sanna Marin on Saturday told Social Democratic Party delegates gathered in Helsinki that it was time for Finland to seriously reconsider its stance on military allegiance. That’s aContinue Reading
In a recent interview with Finnish Broadcasting Company (Yle), former Finnish President Tarja Halonen compared the Baltic countries’ accession to NATO in 2004 to Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania belonging to the Soviet Union. “They were used to being part of a collective security system during the Soviet era,” Halonen toldContinue Reading
Russia’s operation in Ukraine and the resulting sanctions on Russia are impacting businesses in Finland, according to a survey by the Finland Chamber of Commerce. The majority of the companies polled—62 percent—said that the ongoing crisis has hampered their operations. However, only a fifth of respondents expect a decline inContinue Reading
In the latest of a series of interviews on possible Nato membership, the president seemed to suggest that the benefits would outweigh the downsides. President Sauli Niinistö says it is clear that possible Finnish membership in Nato would permanently increase tensions with Russia along the two countries’ border. Interviewed onContinue Reading
Just over a week ago, it remained unclear whether the Saimaa Canal would open, due to possible EU sanctions on Russia. The Saimaa Canal officially re-opens on Monday, although resumption of traffic will depend on ice and weather conditions. Canal authorities announced on Friday that the annual traffic season onContinue Reading