Finns are divided over permanent NATO bases and their country’s role in the alliance, but an overwhelming majority favour future membership, a survey published by MTV3 on Monday has found.
The survey asked what people thought of setting up a permanent NATO base, as well as Finland’s future role within the alliance.
Some 48% said they opposed setting up permanent NATO bases and troops on Finnish soil, while only 39% said they favoured such infrastructure, and 13% said they were not able to form an opinion.
On Finland’s future role in the alliance, those surveyed were very divided.
Finland adopting an even more active role once it becomes a NATO member is a direction that was favoured by 49% of those surveyed.
Though Finland has already participated in NATO missions, 42% said they favoured territorial integrity, while 9% of those surveyed said they had no definite views.
At the same time, Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto also questioned whether NATO membership is still on the table in an interview with Helsingin Sanomat conducted on the sidelines of the Security Conference in Sälen, Sweden, and published Monday.
Referring to Turkey possibly not ratifying the countries’ membership in time for the NATO Vilnius Summit in early July, Haavisto said: “there starts to appear a question whether the NATO doors really are open”.
(Pekka Vänttinen | EURACTIV.com)
Source: euractiv.com
