Crisis Chronology

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FINLAND

06/30/2023

Economy minister Vilhelm Junnila resigns after just ten days in office over earlier statements he had made linked to Nazis. Junnila, a member of the right-wing Finns party, had survived a no-confidence vote the previous day.

04/02/2023

Opposition wins election

The opposition National Coalition Party (KOK) wins the election with 20.8% of the national popular vote and winning 48 seats in parliament, the third highest result in the party's history. For the first time in Finland's history, the Centre Party (KESK) did not win a plurality of votes in any regional voting districts. The far-right Finns party essentially ties Marin’s Social Democratic Party for second. The KOK leader, Petri Orpo, will become prime minister. Marin was not especially popular, and the scandals affected the outcome, but the economy was the primary issue. The KOK advocated balancing the budget, reducing spending, and building nuclear plants. Joining NATO was supported by all sides.

03/31/2023

Finland joins NATO after the Turkish parliament votes unanimously to affirm their entry, the last NATO country to so approve.

03/19/2023

Erdogan says he will allow Finland to join NATO, but not yet Sweden. Hungary follows suit, saying Sweden’s admittance will be taken up later.

01/23/2023

Finland calls for a pause in three-way talks with Sweden and Turkey over joining NATO and suggests that Finland should perhaps join NATO even if Sweden is blocked.

09/29/2022

Finland announces that it will not accept Russian tourists.

08/25/2022

A photo of two influencers without tops, their breasts covered by a sign that said “Finland” at the official residence, Kesaranta, is leaked. Marin apologizes, but some believe her chances of reelection are finished, and to some extent the criticism is a result of the inclusion of celebrities in both instances, which Finns do not like. The reaction is also exacerbated by different standards for a woman in her position than for a man.

08/19/2022

Marin says that she took a drug test and has never used drugs in her life.

08/18/2022

Leaked videos show PM Marin dancing at a party. There are calls for her to take a drug test.

06/28/2022

After meeting with Finnish President Sauli Niinsto and Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, Turkey’s President Erdogan drops his opposition to those countries joining NATO. Turkey says that the countries will expel Kurds, but Sweden and Finland say they only agreed to examine the Kurds Turkey has named.

05/29/2022

Turkey continues to balk at admitting Sweden and Finland to NATO, saying it should not admit countries that support terroristic groups.

05/25/2022

Sweden and Finland hold discussions with Turkey over their NATO application.

05/20/2022

Russia cuts gas supply to Finland, which says it will not markedly affect supply there.

05/18/2022

Finland and Sweden both formally apply to join NATO.

05/16/2022

Putin says that Sweden and Finland joining NATO are not a concern as long as NATO troops are not stationed in these countries.

05/14/2022

Turkish government spokesmen say that Turkey has not decided to bar Sweden and Finland from joining NATO, but that those countries support of Kurdish rebels is “unacceptable.”

05/14/2022

Turkish government spokesmen say that Turkey has not decided to bar Sweden and Finland from joining NATO, but that those countries support of Kurdish rebels is “unacceptable.”

05/13/2022

Turkey says it does not support Finland and Sweden joining NATO. New members must be approved unanimously.

05/13/2022

Turkey says it does not support Finland and Sweden joining NATO. New members must be approved unanimously.

05/11/2022

Government to apply to NATO

Government announces that it will seek membership in NATO. Russia vows a “corresponding symmetrical responses.”

04/26/2022

Russia warns other countries from becoming involved in its invasion of Ukraine. With Scandinavian countries likely to apply to join NATO, Putin also warns of consequences. Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov recently warned of possibility of the use of nuclear arms. There are concerns about Russia cutting off gas and oil from Europe, which shakes financial markets around the world. However, most of these warnings either lack specificity or any gain in advantage for Russia.

04/14/2022

As both Sweden and Finland debate applying to NATO in their legislatures, Russian prime minister Medvedev says that if they join the alliance, Russia would move nuclear weapons to the Baltic region.

03/01/2022

Amid the invasion of Ukraine, parliament begins debate on whether to apply for membership in NATO, a significant shift from Finland’s historic balance between Russa and the West.

07/06/2021

Arctic region Lapland suffering heat wave, above 90 degrees F.

03/16/2020

PM Sanna Marin declares a state of emergency.

01/28/2020

Finland confirms its first case of COVID-19.

12/08/2019

Social Democrats elect Transportation minister Sanna Marin to be the youngest prime minister in history. She will take power in the middle of a three-day wave of strikes.

12/03/2019

PM Antti Rinne resigns, having been criticized for his handling of a two-week postal strike in 11/19. Pres Sauli Niinisto asks his government to remain as a caretaker government until new elections are held. The Finnish Center Party had lost confidence in Rinne, destabilizing the ruling coalition of Rinne’s Social Democratic Party, the Center Party, the Greens, the Left Alliance, and the Swedish People’s Party of Finland. Although the Center Party has pushed for new election, parliament is likely to nominate a new prime minister. Minister of Transportation and Social Democrat Sanna Marin is a likely choice.

04/15/2019

Social Democrats win very narrowly over nationalist Finns Party, 17.7% to 17.5%. The National Coalition Party is third with 17% and Juha Sipila’s Center Party has 13.8%.

04/14/2019

Elections for parliament. Leftist Social Democrats are leading in polls, but nationalist populist Finns Party has strong support.

11/27/2018

Sauli Niinsto is re-elected president of Finland with 63% of the vote, avoiding a run-off against challenger Pekka Haavisto of the Greens. While his office is largely ceremonial, he has been an important negotiator with Russia’s Pres Putin.

11/12/2018

French Pres Macron proposes a joint military force for Europe. Europe already has the European Intervention Initiative (EI2), aimed at creating a unified military force capable of taking coordinated action abroad. Finland joins the group, which includes France, Germany, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Estonia, Portugal and the United Kingdom.

06/13/2017

Finnish ruling coalition survives by remaining partners with moderate wing of The Finns Party, which has split from the anti-EU and anti-immigrant wing.

06/12/2017

Ruling coalition ejects the populist The Finns party due to its election of an anti-immigrant and anti-EU party leader. The remaining members of the coalition, the Center Party (led by Juha Sipilä) and the National Coalition Party (led by Petteri Orpo), will seek other coalition partners.