The following report back from Finland by Kyle Bailey looks at a nascent protest movement against the sudden shift in Finnish public opinion when it comes to NATO membership. The Russian military’s recent aggression against Ukraine has effectively upended a key mainstay of Finland’s post-WWII diplomacy, which was built around official neutrality. In the space of a few months, this consensus has been shattered and a new consensus seems to be emerging instead around accelerated NATO membership. This short piece gives insight into the narrowing space of public debate in Finland on these issues, and highlights how a small coalition of progressive groups are attempting to challenge the militarization such a decision is surely to bring in its wake.
