Summary:
President Sauli Niinistö spoke about NATO, neighbourhood with Russia and the Baltic States, among other things, in an interview with the Spanish El País. He said that after the Crimea crisis, the security environment in Europe has changed. Particularly the situation of the Baltic States is concerning, as their geopolitical relations are not clear, the President said. Mr Niinistö added that he has good relations with President Putin and that he is concerned over the cyber war that originates in the east.

Media:  Iltalehti
Date: 16.11.2017
Journalist: Laura Peräsalo
Main source: President Sauli Niinistö

Summary:
Maaseudun Tulevaisuus notes that while Finland had great expectations for Estonia’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union, two very bad decisions for Finland were made under Estonia’s leadership. One is the lulucf-legislation, which incorporated forests as part of Europe’s climate goals unfavourably to Finland. The other was the curbing of herring quota in the Gulf of Bothnia more than recommended by scientists. Due to the Presidency, Estonia had influence over the result. The European Commission defended its proposal to cut the herring quota to a half, while Finland expected a 32 per cent cut.

Summary:
Finland’s Europe Minister Sampo Terho talks about European politics in an interview with Helsingin Sanomat. He has recently met the German Europe Minister Michael Rothin and talked about the euro, immigration and brexit, among others. Minister Terho does not believe that Germany would change that much even though the government is about to change. According to him, the whole Europe is moving notably at the moment.

Media:  Helsingin Sanomat
Date: 9.11.2017
Journalist: Anna-Liina Kauhanen
Main source: Finland’s Europe Minister Sampo Terho

Summary:
Brexit is complicating the planning of the EU’s future budgets, writes Helsingin Sanomat. The Finnish Government is assuming an absolute position in the budget negotiations. Minister of European Affairs Sampo Terho (Blue) maintains that if the Union becomes smaller, the budget must also shrink. MEP Petri Sarvamaa (EPP), First Vice-Chair of the European Parliament’s Budget Committee, is very disappointed in the Government’s position, saying it is incomprehensible and ignorant. He says Finland’s position reflects an old-fashioned zero-sum game attitude although Brexit would allow for reforming the Union’s stiff budget framework and seek European solutions that would benefit Finland, too.

Summary:
Demokraatti writes that Foreign Minister of Finland Timo Soini sees the EU’s new defense cooperation as a historical event and the best thing Finland can get from the EU. The new cooperation agreement was signed by 23 states. The contract reminds Finland that the EU member states agree to help each other in trouble. Soini finds that the contract shows the erroneous nature of criticism of the government’s EU policy being passive. Not everyone agrees with Soini, however, and Member of Parliament from the Left Alliance Markus Mustajärvi commented his words critically.

Media:  Demokraatti.fi
Date: 14.11.2017
Journalist: –
Main source: –