Ask the experts what European issues are important to Finland and you get a familiar list: economic policy, immigration, climate change, defense and agriculture. On top of this there is almost a plea to MEPs to keep the European show on the road.
Esko Antola, who heads the Jean Monnet Centre at Turku University, says it’s in Finland’s best interest to keep the EU running.
“We as a small state are heavily dependent on institutions. We believe that strong and effective institutions are particularly helpful to small states because they help level the playing field among member states that vary greatly in size,” says Antola.
Mention specifically the issue of defence and after awhile you'll hear the N-word: NATO. Given Finland's growing role in international peacekeeping operations, experts prefer to talk about greater EU defence co-operation.
"The EU is the only game in town as we’re not a NATO member. In the short-term there’s no possibility of Finland joining the alliance as public opinion strongly opposes membership.”
Agricultural Lobby Wants MEPs to Side with Finland
Out of town one issue dominates the euro elections, namely agriculture. The farming and forestry community emphasises the proper utlilisation of Finland's natural resources. However, there's a strong feeling that rural dwellers have been shortchanged even by their own MEPs.
In the view of the union of agricultural producers and forest owners, some tough talking would help.
“I would like Finnish parliamentarians to remember that they really are coming from Finland. We don’t need to be too polite towards others when expressing issues affecting Finland,” says Antti Sahi, Secretary General of the Union of Agricultural Producers.
