Select a language
On 4 April, Finland officially joined NATO, after Turkey ratified its membership. The decision brings an end to several months of obstruction from Ankara, ostensibly due to Nordic governments’ support for several pro-Kurdish groups.
This was anything but a foregone conclusion: at the beginning of 2022, the Finns were opposed to the idea of joining the Atlantic alliance, including even Prime Minister Sanna Marin (Social Democratic Party of Finland, centre-left). However, Russia's recent invasion of Ukraine has convinced the country that abandoning its long tradition of neutrality has become a necessity.
The timing is perhaps a little off. Marin, who had been a strong supporter of both Ukraine and her country's accession to NATO, narrowly lost the 2 April parliamentary elections. Her party came third (19.9% of the vote), behind the nationalist Finns Party (20.1%) and Petteri Orpo's conservative National Coalition Party (20.8%), which is set to take power.
Was this article useful? If so we are delighted!
It is freely available because we believe that the right to free and independent information is essential for democracy. But this right is not guaranteed forever, and independence comes at a cost. We need your support in order to continue publishing independent, multilingual news for all Europeans.
Discover our subscription offers and their exclusive benefits and become a member of our community now!
