Something Old,Something New,Something Borrowed,Something Blue

Abstract

The formulation of Finland's military doctrine in the post-Second World War era has been related to the more general problem of Finnish foreign policy of this period, namely, how to maintain good relations without being sucked into an uncomfortably close orbit with the Soviet Union. While the military instruments of security policy have been markedly secondary to political instruments, Finland has tried to use its limited resources to create an image of credible national defence capability. This line of policy is still being followed, although the fundamentals of Finland's security environment have drastically changed — and are further going to change as a result of a deepening of European integration in the security and foreign policy spheres. Finland has consistently spent approximately 1.5% of GDP in military expenditures. The niveau has been an outcome of domestic bargaining, but at the political level there has been consensus about it. In the post-Cold War period this consensus is facing difficulties. Pressures to reduce military expenditures are increasing, although no major disarmament dividends are to be expected.