The Eduskunta (Finnish Parliament) approved this Wednesday with a large majority the entry of the Nordic country into NATOa historic decision that puts an end to decades of military neutrality with which Finland seeks to strengthen its security against the aggressiveness of neighboring Russia.
To measure, approved with 184 votes in favor and 7 againsthe had majority support from all major parliamentary groups.
After this vote, it only remains for the Finnish president, Sauli Niinistö, to give his approval to the entry and that ratified by Hungary and Turkeythe only two NATO member countries that have not yet done so.
Due to the delays of the Hungarian government and the reluctance of Ankara, the Finnish Executive has decided to call the parliamentary vote without waiting for the approval of both countries to save time and close the issue before the legislative elections on 2 April.
Entry into NATO it had the almost unanimous support of the Finnish partieseven by those who were against the alliance before the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Only a handful of MPs from the far left and far right voted against, citing, among other things, the lack of guarantees that nuclear weapons would not be installed on the ground.
“This decision and this law do not change Finland’s position on nuclear weapons,” said Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto.
Decisive step on the world table
After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Finland and Sweden have decided to turn the page on their military non-alignment policy in force since the 1990s, heir to decades of neutrality, and applied to NATO in May 2022.
The approval of the Finnish law does not mean that the country will automatically join the military alliance once Hungary and Turkey ratify it.
But at least it establishes a clear timetable: after its adoption, President Niinistö You have a maximum of three months to sign it.
This has already anticipated that it will “from its approval”. “If there are practical reasons, I can wait (…) but no later than the April 2 elections,” she said.
Then, according to NATO customs, the country must send the instruments of accession to Washington “in a few weeks at the latest”, explained the Chancellor of Justice, Tuomas Pöysti.
The opposition of Hungary and Turkey
Hungary has on several occasions postponed parliamentary scrutiny of Finland’s and Sweden’s applications for NATO membership, although it does not oppose them in principle.
Turkey has instead blocked the ratification process until the two Nordic nations respect a series of conditions contained in the tripartite agreement signed in Madrid last June.
In this deal, Helsinki and Stockholm agree to allow arms exports to Turkey, facilitate the extradition of suspected Kurdish terrorists and go after terrorist organizations, including the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
At the moment, Ankara admits that Finland is sufficiently advanced to give the green light to its entry into NATO, but maintains the veto of Sweden, which it accuses of not respecting the agreement.
The Turkish government suspended trilateral negotiations after Stockholm five weeks ago pro-Kurdish demonstrations allowed and the burning of a copy of the Koran on their territory.
Talks between the three countries are expected to resume next week at a meeting to be held in Brussels under the auspices of NATO.
Source: EFE and AFP
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.