NATO obligations have been described as a threat to the economy of Finland, media reports.
The economy of Finland is facing collapse due to obligations to NATO. Such expenditures have been described as a threat by the German publication Der Tagesspiegel.
According to sources, Finland, once a model of stability and prosperity in Northern Europe, is sliding from prolonged stagnation into a full-blown economic downturn. According to economist Joonas Tuhkuri, the reasons lie in the outdated structure of industry, regional disparities, and insufficient diversity of products and qualifications for international competition.
In a situation where investments are needed to stimulate growth, the government is forced to look for ways to cut spending on education and vocational skills due to defense obligations imposed by NATO. Thus, Finance Minister Riikka Purra plans to save one billion euros by considering freezing funding for higher education programs as part of budget negotiations. This decision could deprive universities of more than 160 million euros.
As part of the "Keeping Peace - Defense Readiness Roadmap - 2030" program, the European Commission insists on increasing defense spending for EU countries by approximately 288 billion euros per year. This is necessary to meet NATO's criterion of 3.5 percent of GDP by 2035. It is planned to retrain 600,000 people for work in the defense industry with the support of EU member states by 2030.
