Country of quiet pragmatists with reputation for efficiency

Date: 19/10/1995

By Emily von Sydow

DELIVERING his verdict on the recent European Parliament elections in Sweden, Finnish Prime Minister Paavo Lipponen was scathing.

Referring to the significant gains made by the anti-EU parties and the extremely low turn-out, he commented self-righteously: “We Finns take membership of the European Union seriously.”

He was right, but it was not the sort of comment Finland's Nordic neighbours wanted to hear.

Finland's unequivocal approach to the EU is largely due to the respect that Lipponen commands in domestic politics. He does not like politicians in his coalition to say that they are against economic and monetary union and his strong leadership tends to muffle dissension.

In addition, the pro-European foreign ministry has a very influential role in the Finnish government, a remnant of the days when relations with the 'big neighbour' - the Soviet Union - were handled by foreign ministry officials.

The Finns have been discreetly efficient since they arrived in the EU. But their approach has not always gone down well with their Swedish neighbours.

Swedes privately think that on 'Nordic' issues, such as the drive for greater openness and transparency in the EU institutions, Finnish discretion has gone a little too far.

But although it is rare for Finns to lead a protest, at the latest General Affairs Council, it was the Foreign Minister Tarja Halonen who first raised the politically-charged issue of the French nuclear testing programme.

On certain issues, where they are suspected to have expertise, the Finns deliver but sparingly.

They don't grab the microphone, happy to give a lecture, preferring to get their message across in a more measured way.

Finland's role in influencing EU policy on relations with Russia is a good example of its approach, with emphasis on making practical suggestions rather than grand-standing.

Senior foreign ministry official Veli Sundbäck explained: “We are often asked for our view. We are happy to give practical information on how to negotiate an issue. But we are no Kremlinologists. Others do that better.”

The Finnish approach to EU affairs can be best summed up as “little but in depth”. During talks on Finland's application to join the Union, the Finnish negotiating team was led by the then Prime Minister Esko Aho of the farmers' Centre Party.

While their Scandinavian neighbours were pre-occupied by issues such as the alcohol monopoly and saving “snus” tobacco, the Finns concentrated their energy on achieving as smooth a transition as possible for their farmers, who had been bolstered by massive state support until their entry into EU and other key issues such as security and winning a fair share of money from Union coffers had been settled.

Since joining the EU on 1 January, Finns have maintained that concentration. They dig into things that concern them and don't waste time formulating in-depth views on those which don't, such as the Union's Mediterranean policy - just as long as it does not conflict with important issues such as relations with the Baltic region.

The Finns are also extremely preoccupied with their smallness. The country's scarce population influences much of their thinking on Union issues.

That explains their intense preoccupation with the voting rules in the Council of Ministers and the balance of power between bigger and smaller member states.

It also explains why the Finns have not campaigned for greater openness in EU decision-making as enthusiastically as their Scandinavian neighbours.

Helsinki prefers to retain some secrecy in the Council of Ministers because otherwise “the real decisions will be taken in another corridor, in a deal struck secretly between the big member states”.

One Finnish diplomat said he was in favour of the Council of Ministers having even more power in future, for the simple reason that its where Finland is best represented.

In the European Parliament, they have 16 or 2.5&percent; of the 626 seats. In the Council, they have 3.4 &percent; of the say with 3 out of 87 votes.

That's Finnish pragmatism for you.