(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - A majority of Finns do not want their country to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), according to a poll by Suomen Gallup published in Helsingin Sanomat. 59 per cent of respondents do not want Finland to enter NATO, while 25 per cent support the idea.

NATO was originally formed in 1949 as an agreement of collaboration designed to prevent a possible attack from the Soviet Union on North America or Western Europe during the Cold War. In March 2004, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia officially joined NATO.

Finnish Centre Party (KESK) leader Matti Vanhanen has been Finland’s prime minister since June 2003, after the resignation of Anneli Jaatteenmaki. In March, Finnish voters renewed the Diet. Vanhanen formed a new coalition administration, encompassing the KESK, the conservative National Rally (KOK), the Swedish People’s Party (RKP), and the environmentalist Green League (VIHR).

Finland is currently a NATO "partner", but not a full member. Earlier this year, Finnish president Tarja Halonen refuted rumours concerning the government’s predisposition to seek a full NATO membership. In accordance with the 2000 constitution, Finland’s president is responsible for the country’s foreign policy along with the cabinet.

In late August, Halonen told an audience of diplomats that the European Union (EU) and NATO should develop a cooperation mechanism to respond to all sorts of crises, and declared: "EU countries that are not members of NATO will not stand in the way of this development of cooperation." Halonen also said Finland would be willing to participate in such a mechanism, just as it takes part in other international crisis management operations.

Polling Data

Would you support or oppose Finland’s entry into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)?

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