On April 30, the largest party in the Finnish opposition, the Finns Party, announced that it would support Finland’s application to join NATO. Party chair Riikka Purra said at a press conference in Helsinki on April 30 that the party council voted 61-3 in favor of membership, reported the Yle broadcaster. The Finns join two other opposition parties, the center-right Christian Democrats and Movement Now which together control 82 seats in the parliament.
Yle reports this morning, however, that the Finnish paper Iltalehti had a bigger scoop. The paper reported that Finnish President Sauli Niinistö will endorse Finnish NATO membership on May 12. Niinistö has kept his cards close to his chest in recent months, Yle says, even as he negotiates the practicalities of any possible application, so this declaration would indicate that the process is really moving forward. Following the President’s announcement, parties in parliament will back his positive NATO stance. Iltalehti, citing foreign and security policy sources, suggests that Niinistö will make his position clear by noon on May 12 before parliamentary groups convene for a meeting at 2 p.m.
