On Wednesday, Finland’s debate on NATO membership will proceed as the government reports to Parliament on the change in the foreign and security policy environment as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Helsingin Sanomat wrote that although the report does not take a direct position on NATO membership, it opens a formal debate and debate in Parliament.
HS wrote that while the vast majority of Finns now support NATO membership, the president Sauli Niinistö has emphasized the importance of carefully weighing and examining the consequences of such a decision.
The newspaper pointed out that these consequences could include increased aggression by Russia through the hybrid war, military escalation on Finland’s eastern border and possible involvement of Finland in foreign wars.
Jorma Ala-SankilaThe chairman of the Finnish Peacekeeping Association told HS that Finland has already participated in almost every NATO operation. For example, two Finnish soldiers were killed in a NATO-led operation in Afghanistan.
The current system, in which Finland sends professional soldiers and volunteer reservists for crisis management, would probably continue without the need for conscripts or calling in reservists.
Also a Helsinki newspaper sent a reporter to the streets to make votes NATO membership.
The answers were contradictory, with some saying that Finland should by no means join the alliance, while others thought it would be the best decision in a changed security environment.
"I still think about it. I do not see accession as a bad thing, but the timing must be taken into account. I want to follow how things develop after the Russian invasion, what is happening in world politics. I am not in favor of militarism in principle, but if nothing else helps, then NATO is an option." Rebekka Kanerva said while speaking to HS.
Of the ten people who expressed their views, four said yes to NATO membership, four said maybe and two said no.
Domestic violence on the rise
Ilta-Sanomat wrote that according to a new study published by the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), domestic violence and sexual harassment have become more common.
During the Covid Pandemic, the lives of young people were limited by distance learning and the interruption of other activities, which seriously affected their well-being. The Covid disorder also made it difficult to seek and receive help in crisis situations, Iltasanomat wrote.
There were differences in the experiences of young people according to well-being according to the region and economic background. Girls in Ostrobothnia, Eastern Uusimaa and Helsinki said they had experienced the most violence in the past year.
"In basic services, it is important to pay attention to domestic violence and, in particular, to the needs of immigrants and children. It is important to communicate domestic violence and access to help in a multilingual and multi-channel way," said Johanna HietamäkiTHL’s specialist researcher speaks to Iltasanomat.
Iltasanomat also wrote that sexual harassment of school-age girls has increased significantly during the Covid pandemic. According to the report, about half of 11- to 15-year-old girls experienced sexual harassment. In 2019, the figure was only a third.
According to the report, public sexual harassment also increased, Iltasanomat writes. One third of Helsinki girls experienced harassment in public places
Nursing students are considering other professions
At the same time as the nursing strike is preparing to end on April 15, Labor Day Aamulehti wrote that many nursing students are considering switching to study something else.
Aamulehti said that the number of applicants for Tampere University of Applied Sciences has fallen by about a fifth from 2021 to 2022.
The students were annoyed that they had to study for three and a half years to get a salary increase of only 300 euros compared to having applied for a career without studying.
Speaking to the nursing students, Aamulehti told the majority that they had considered switching fields during their studies.
"Our salary is the worst in the fields of studying at a polytechnic. Tehy’s and Super’s salary proposals are not too demanding," Chairman of the Tampere Nursing Students’ Association, Mona Ristikartanostated to Aamulehti when speaking.
The average salary for nurses in Finland is EUR 2,585 per month, which is the lowest in the Nordic countries. The unions are demanding 3.6 per cent annual wage increases for the next five years, bringing the average wage to around € 3,100 by 2026.
Aamulehti wrote that nursing students overwhelmingly supported the demands of the unions and many argued that it would be difficult to continue in the field in the current situation.
Source: The Nordic Page