Authors

• Advisory Board for Defence Information

Keywords

armed forces, conscription, defence, defence and state security policy, foreign policy, foreign relations, international alliances, international conflict, military operations, national security, war

Abstract

The annual Finnish Opinions on Security Policy National Defence survey charted Finnish public opinion on foreign policy, defence policy, security, military alliances, military service, and international armed conflicts at the time of the survey. Some questions examined views on factors affecting safety and security. Some questions examined views on factors affecting safety and security. This survey round also included questions about the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Opinions were charted on the success of foreign policy in the previous few years, funds allocated to the Defence Forces, whether Finland should resort to armed defence in case of any sort of attack, whether the respondents would be prepared to participate in national defence according to their abilities, and how the global security situation would develop in the next five years. Views were probed on the current, conscription-based defence system and whether women should also participate in conscription. Satisfaction with defence policy in the previous few years was also investigated.

The respondents were asked to evaluate the impact of several countries and organisations, such as Russia, China, US, UN, NATO and EU, on Finland's security. The respondents were asked to evaluate Finland's preparedness for the prevention of various security threats, such as armed attack, energy supply issues, infectious diseases and epidemics, environmental hazards, political pressure from other states, economic crisis, terrorism, and attacks against information systems and networks. Views on how the military situation in nearby regions would develop during the next decade were also examined.

Next, the respondents were asked whether their trust in the future of the European Union had weakened, strengthened or stayed the same. Views on co-operation between EU and NATO to increase security in Europe were also investigated. Additionally, the respondents' trust in the ability of the Finnish Defence Forces to defend Finland against military threats was examined. The respondents were asked how different issues affected the safety and security of Finland. These included, among others, Finland's EU membership, Finland's NATO membership, participation in the EU defence and in international crisis management. Views were also charted on Finnish military cooperation in the EU, with NATO, other Nordic countries, and the United States.

Concerns caused by certain phenomena and issues were charted, such as withdrawals from arms controls agreements, climate change, various infectious diseases and epidemics, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, organised crime, international terrorism, inflation, cyberthreats, political extremism, racism, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and current developments in Russia, the US, the Middle East and Afghanistan. On the topic of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the respondents were asked whether the EU and its member states should continue to offer military and financial support to Ukraine and impose sanctions on Russia. The respondents were also asked whether other NATO states should be ready to defend Finland in case of an armed attack on Finland and whether Finland should be prepared to defend other NATO states in case of an armed attack on another NATO state.

Background variables included, among others, the respondent's gender, age, economic activity and occupational status, household composition, ages of children living at home, gross annual income of the household, level of education, type of accommodation, region of residence, number of inhabitants in the municipality of residence, political party choice in the previous parliamentary elections, and political party choice if the parliamentary elections were held at the time of the survey.