Finland’s Election — Sanna Marin Sunk

The victory of the center-right opposition in Finland’s election will mean that prime minister Sanna Marin of the center-left SDP has lost her job. Marin deserves credit for steering Finland into NATO, something that perhaps only someone on her side of the aisle could have managed. But, with Turkey finally having given its approval, Finland’s NATO membership is now imminent. The election won’t change that. That’s good news. Finland will likely prove a useful addition to the defense of the alliance’s northeastern flank. Moreover, with Finland as a member, and Sweden as something close to it, the Baltic states will look much less like the exposed NATO “peninsula” that they have been.

Noah Rothman gave some background to Finland’s joining NATO here. And lest anyone have any doubt, NATO’s agreement to accept Finland as a member is not an act of charity. The country has already passed the NATO target that defense spending should exceed 2 percent of GDP.

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Andrew Stuttaford

Andrew Stuttaford is the editor of National Review's Capital Matters.

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The victory of the center-right opposition in Finland’s election will mean that prime minister Sanna Marin of the center-left SDP has lost her job. Marin deserves credit for steering Finland into NATO, something that perhaps only someone on her side of the aisle could have managed. But, with Turkey finally having given its approval, Finland’s NATO membership is now imminent. The election won’t change that. That’s good news. Finland will likely prove a useful addition to the defense of the alliance’s northeastern flank. Moreover, with Finland as a member, and Sweden as something close to it, the Baltic states will look much less like the exposed NATO “peninsula” that they have been.

Noah Rothman gave some background to Finland’s joining NATO here. And lest anyone have any doubt, NATO’s agreement to accept Finland as a member is not an act of charity. The country has already passed the NATO target that defense spending should exceed 2 percent of GDP.