Prime Ministers Sanna Marin and Ulf Kristersson negotiated for an hour in Stockholm today. The sole purpose of the quick visit was to communicate that the NATO journey continues together, ‘s Nordic correspondent Pirjo Auvinen estimates.
STOCKHOLM Prime minister Sanna Marin came to Stockholm after noon, when the winter city was at its most spectacular. At night, it would have snowed so much that the ground was white, the sky was cloudless and you could already feel the spring sun warming you.
Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson was waiting for his guest in his handsome official residence in the Sager Palace, opposite the Parliament building. Kristersson, the leader of the coalition, moved there after the elections, after the change of power.
It was emphasized in advance that Marin was Kristersson’s first prime minister-level guest. And it was no coincidence that the guest just came from Finland, an important neighboring country.
It was reminded that the agenda also includes matters related to Sweden’s EU presidency and the preparation of next week’s EU summit.
But really, the meeting seemed to have only one purpose. The prime ministers wanted one message to go out to the world with pictures: Finland and Sweden are striving to become members of the defense alliance NATO at the same pace, together, hand in hand.
So I saw this despite the fact that in Finland the foreign minister Pekka Haavisto (green) had already thought out loud that if Sweden’s membership is stuck for a long time, then perhaps Finland should consider moving forward alone.
And you don’t want to get your hands dirty in one Koran burning, which Swedish law allows, but judgment condemns.
Nor did the prime ministers think that, according to a survey commissioned by Ilta-Sanomi, the majority of Finns would be ready to join NATO even without Sweden.
No. From Stockholm, the prime ministers wanted to send just one message and one picture: together as if nothing had happened in the last couple of weeks.
And the address was clear and common: Turkey.
The questions about whether the prime ministers need additional support to break the Turkish jam, for example the Secretary General of NATO, remained unanswered from Jens Stoltenberg or from large NATO member countries such as the United States.
Or the question of whether a Koran-burner can Rasmus Paludan or others annoy Turkey to play in Russia’s pocket.
Now the most important thing is to stay calm, was the answer to many questions.
In the message sent to Turkey, there was also a mention of the blackmailing intentions of Sweden’s terrorist legislation, of which the Minister of Justice Gunnar Strömmer (cocc.) this morning told. Now belonging to a terrorist organization or working in it is made punishable, but drawing the line will not be easy in the future.
Even according to the new sections, participating in a demonstration or flying the flag of the Kurdish organization PKK is not punishable.
In other words, greetings from Stockholm: hands clasped and calm.