Sanna Marin is one of the symbols of modern EU leaders: the young Social Democrat premier of Finland was at the forefront of Russia’s war against Ukraine, supplying advanced weapons to Kyiv before others and supporting the toughest sanctions against Moscow. Marin pushed for the historic choice of NATO membership, abandoning the policy of non-alignment that had distinguished Finland from the rest of the West during the Cold War. She convinced his Green allies to support nuclear power in Finland, because even if renewables are the future, they are not enough. Yesterday Marin presented her vision for the EU before the European Parliament: Europeans must respond to Russian blackmail on energy ‘with unity and determination’, but also ‘by showing solidarity with each other and taking care of our citizens’. The Finnish Prime Minister called for new and tougher sanctions against Moscow to increase the costs of the war and make them felt by Russian citizens as well. But the federalists must have been disappointed to find out that Marin is indeed a pro-European and left-wing leader, but in the Nordic version: the Finnish premier said she was against an increase in the EU budget or a new ‘Recovery Fund’ for future crises. In her eyes, the most important task of the ‘Stability Pact’ remains to reduce excessive debts. Marin said ‘no’ to a revision of the treaties because ‘in the middle of the crisis’ is not the right time: ‘Our citizens did not ask for institutional changes’. Marin’s Nordic Europeanism may not make federalists dream, but it is pragmatic and concrete. Read more on Ilfoglio.it
