Parliamentarizing Foreign Policy Decision-Making

Abstract

Within less than a decade Finland's status has changed from a non-aligned country to a full European Union (EU) member. This article analyses two dimensions of the process: Finnish integration policy and the impact of EU membership on domestic balance of power. Commitment to European integration is primarily explained by the need to secure a place among the West European countries in order to protect national economic and political interests. We examine governmental behaviour in the membership negotiations and the main cleavages of the 1994 membership referendum. The institutional changes within and between the legislative, executive and administrative branches are investigated. Foreign policy decision-making has undergone a significant transformation, with the government and the parliament the key players in deciding national European policy. While the dynamics of the EU political system facilitate fragmentation of policy-making along sectoral lines, on key issues national policy formulation is based on broad coordination, with an emphasis on achieving elite consensus that, it is argued, enhances national power in the EU institutions.