Sun, 08 Mar, 2015 12:09:09 AM Referendum on NATO membership reiterated FTimes – STT Report, Mar 8  Prime Minister Alexander Stubb. File Photo – Lehtikuva. Prime Minister Alexander Stubb on Saturday revealed his position on government austerity measures.
Talking to YLE Ykkösaamu (morning breakfast) programme, Stubb, also the chair of the ruling Kansallinen Kokoomus (National Coalition Party-NCP), expressed the hope that other political parties would also disclose their own proposals in this regard.
According to Stubb, savings should be sought, among other things, through freezing of benefits and reductions to earning-based unemployment assistance.
He also pointed out development cooperation pull-back, government streamlining, political funding and funding for ministers and ministries as the sectors of possible expenditure cuts.
The prime minister argued that in the next parliamentary term benefits cannot increase, if, at the same time, wage policies remain extremely moderate.
“These things go hand in hand,” said Stubb.
He named in his agenda cutting of international development cooperation and ministers’ salaries in particular. Both the government and the ministries’ activities and other political works should, according to Stubb, be more efficient and focused all around.
The cuts to international development funding are, according to the PM, natural in a situation where Finns are expected to cut their own social benefits.
Speaking on the country’s foreign and security policy, Stubb said Finland’s NATO membership could be offered for a referendum.
First, the benefits and drawbacks of the membership should be brought to light in the next parliamentary term.
The prime minister said all political parties agree that the possibility of applying for NATO membership has not been excluded from the next parliamentary term.
However, according to Stubb, joining NATO would require a steadfast support from both the political leaders and the people.
In fact, he sees NATO membership as a “natural continuation” of Finland’s rapprochement with other Western democracies, with regards to foreign and security policy.
Finland’s security must be primarily based on independent and tenable defence, to be supplemented by international cooperation, said Stubb.
The security situation has changed, according to Stubb, now that the post-Cold War era is coming to an end. The crisis in Ukraine and Russia’s actions are proof of this, in his view.
“We have to admit that Russia is a great power, both in military and political terms, and that it did not act as expected towards international cooperation. Russia does not want to comply with international regulations but would instead make them,” Stubb remarked.
He said, in the current security situation, Finland must be vigilant.
“On one hand, we must nurture bilateral relations with Russia, and on the other hand, for example, we have to cooperate with the EU,” pointed out the prime minister.
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