Last week, the Finnish government announced its efforts to amend the Nuclear Energy Law, the Penal Code to remove the comprehensive ban on the import of nuclear equipment as well as the transportation, supply and possession of these equipments in Finland.
The Ministry of Defense said that this move is to adjust Finnish law to be consistent with NATO's deterrence and defense doctrine.
Many Finnish and foreign media outlets have interpreted this decision as a relaxation of restrictions on nuclear weapons.
According to the amended proposal, activities related to nuclear equipment may be allowed in cases such as: Territorial defense of Finland, collective defense of NATO or other defense cooperation activities.
This plan quickly caused controversy in many aspects, first of all the issue of procedures and political legitimacy.
The government announced the plan without prior consultation with opposition parties, causing criticism from many political forces. The Social Democratic Party, the Green Party and the Left Alliance - the main opposition forces in Finland - all expressed opposition.
Critics argue that the government has broken the long-standing Finnish practice of broad consultation before making major security decisions. They note that opposition party leaders are only notified of this issue one day in advance.
Another controversial point is whether this move will bring Finland closer or further away from Northern European countries. Finnish President Alexander Stubb said that this change will help Finland's nuclear policy be consistent with other Northern European countries.
Ms. Tytti Erasto - senior researcher at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) - said that Finland is the only Nordic country with a complete legal ban on nuclear weapons. Other Nordic countries, especially Norway and Denmark, have maintained a strong political stance against nuclear weapons since the Cold War, while Iceland declared itself a denuclear zone since 2016.
The third, most sensitive question is whether the decision to lift the long-standing legal ban on nuclear weapons actually strengthens security for Finland as the government claims or increases risks and tensions. Peace organizations argue that this decision could increase anxiety in society rather than strengthen security.
Ms. Laura Lodenius - Managing Director of the Finnish Peace Union - said that this change does not make Finland safer. She warned that a country that once supported nuclear disarmament may now send the opposite political signal by strengthening the role of nuclear deterrence.
She also expressed concern that if the ban is lifted, decisions related to the movement of nuclear weapons may be handled in absolute secrecy, making it impossible for the Finnish people to know for sure whether nuclear weapons are present on their territory or not.
According to the Ministry of Defense, the draft amendment has now been submitted for public opinion, with the deadline for comments being April 2.The government wants to pass these changes as soon as possible.The Ministry also emphasized that Finland is not seeking to deploy nuclear weapons on its territory and NATO currently has no such plans.
