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Traditionally neutral since the end of WWII in an accommodation with neighbour the Soviet Union (AKA Finlandization), joining NATO has never been on the table in mainstream Finnish politics - until the last couple of years.

Missteps by the Social Democrats brought the right-leaning Center Party to power as the leader of the usual coalition government. More recent gains have seen the more rightist National Coalition party - a coalition member - gaining support. Not to mention gains by the petty nationalists called the True Finns!

And thus joining NATO has been raised as a mainstream issue. The rich Russia of a year or so ago made it easier to promote scare stories. But the NATO promoters look out of synch now that Russia is facing internal problems, and the debate seems to have dropped off the front pages.

Finland, imo, is refocusing on the Nordic Union and the European Union as partnership endeavours to which it has been increasingly   committed since the mid-80s. And I would guess that most of the younger generation (under 40s), if they care at all, support those directions.

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Thu Feb 26th, 2009 at 03:26:05 AM EST

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