Finland’s accession to NATO on April 4th 2023 marked one of its most notable changes in foreign policy in recent decades. As Finland approaches its one-year mark in the NATO alliance, the University of Helsinki’s Master’s program in Global Politics and Communication, the Faculty of Social Sciences and the Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies will host a public panel at the Think Corner to review Finland’s membership and what lies in store in the years ahead. Join us for a timely discussion on the elements and nuances of Finland’s NATO membership, diving into the impact on:
- Finland's changing national identity and role in international security.
- Balancing military preparedness with environmental sustainability
- Åland neutralisation and demilitarisation
- Nuclear deterrence and existential risk
We will be pleased to hear the insights of our keynote speakers Member of Parliament Pekka Toveri and Member of Parliament Maria Ohisalo, and of our distinguished panelists former Member of Parliament Elisabeth Nauclér, Dr. Paul Ingram of the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk at Cambridge University, and Dr. Iro Särkkä of the Finnish Institute of National Affairs, who represent a myriad of critical perspectives in the evolving role of Finland as a NATO member. Adj. Professor S.M. Amadae, in Politics at the University of Helsinki, will moderate the panel. We will welcome some audience questions during this public event which will be held at Think Corner and also live-streamed.
For further reading on topics related to this panel see:
“Top gear security: Finns’ expectations for NATO membership”, SM Amadae, H Wass, M Hentunen, J Tukiainen, A Weckman, M Laine, NATOpoll Policy Brief 1, 2023.
“Guarantees for multifold security concerns: Finns’ expectations for security and defense policy in in the lead-up to the 2024 presidential elections”, SM Amadae, H Wass, J Eloranta, T Forsberg, M Hentunen, I Käihkö, M Laine, J Lehtinen, J Tukiainen, L Valkama, J Vuorelma, A Weckman, NATOpoll Policy Brief 2, 2023
“Advocating Nuclear Disarmament as NATO Members— Lessons from the Past and Possible Routes ahead for Finland and Sweden” by Thomas Jonter, Stockholm University, and Emma Rosengren, Swedish Institute of International Affairs. 2 H-Diplo | Robert Jervis International Security Studies Forum, Policy Roundtable III-2, NATO and Nuclear Disarmament, 9 February 2024