Member-only story
Finland, NATO and the left
Left Alliance leader confronts hard choices facing socialists
Finland’s decision to begin the process of joining NATO is a huge moment of change for Europe, and a moment of maturity for the left. The move is not only led by the social-democratic prime minister, Sanna Marin, but has seen Li Andersson, the leader of the radical left, overcome opposition within her own party.
Finland will be a major asset to NATO, and a major contributor. With a population of less than six million, and a thousand kilometre border with Russia, its active defence forces include just 21,000 people. However, with a 900,000 strong trained reserve force, based on the conscription system, it is capable of mobilising 280,000 trained and equipped troops in wartime.
Traditionally its geopolitical stance has been armed neutrality, a position that large numbers of Finnish voters have rapidly abandoned in response to Russia’s attack on Ukraine.
That has put Andersson’s Vasemmistoliitto (Left Alliance) in a bind. It is a part of the social-democratic led coalition, after taking a historic decision to join government after scoring 8.2% in the 2019 election.
Last weekend the party’s council decided that it would not leave the coalition if the country decides to join NATO, reversing a previous stance. When the country’s security committee published its pro-NATO opinion yesterday, the only dissenting member was an oppositionist from Vasemmistoliitto.
Today Andersson has published a blog outlining her position on the NATO move. It’s not just interesting for observers of the debate within the 18 parties of the European Left, between an overtly pro-Kremlin minority, a pacifist faction and a pro-Ukriane wing. It illustrates the way all European politicians of the left are being forced to frame the hard choices imposed by Russia’s invasion.
Andersson writes (via Google translate, sorry):
“According to the latest opinion polls, a clear majority of Left Alliance voters are now in favor of NATO membership. On the other hand, there are…
