European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and former Finnish President Sauli Niinistö outlined the recommendations in Brussels on Wednesday.
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Former Finnish President Sauli Niinistö and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen held a press conference in Brussels last March. Image: Olivier Matthys / EPA-EFE
Former Finnish President Sauli Niinistö has delivered a report commissioned by the European Union on how the crisis resilience of European societies can be improved.
On Wednesday, Niinistö held a joint press conference with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels. The event was scheduled to begin at noon Finnish time, but was delayed by an hour.
Last March, just after Niinistö left office, von der Leyen asked him to prepare a comprehensive review of the readiness level of European society. The 165-page report is entitled Safer Together, Strengthening Europe’s Civilian and Military Preparedness and Readiness. It covers both conventional armed defence as well as preparedness for cyber and hybrid threats as well as, for example, climate change.
“This calls for a whole-of-society approach,” Von der Leyen said. She thanked Niinistö for his work, saying that it had already influenced the agenda of Von der Leyen’s new commission, which takes office in December.
“Threats don’t stop at our borders, they cascade between the interconnected sectors of our economy,” said Niinistö, adding that “if we are not doing all we can for our own security, we cannot expect others to do it for us.”
According to Niinistö, the EU must acknowledge its own weaknesses and then prepare for future threats with determination.
In the foreword to the report, Niinistö cites Lenin’s command to the Bolsheviks during the Russian Civil War: “Probe with bayonets. If you encounter mush, proceed; if you encounter steel, withdraw”.
A century later, according to Niinistö, today’s opportunists use the same method. They look for weaknesses and exploit political differences. The basis of preparedness is not being an easy target, he writes.
Niinistö said that the threat posed by Russia is now at the highest level since the Cold War. He also asserted that the bloc must be better prepared for crises caused by climate change.
More intelligence sharing
Contrary to earlier media reports, the document does not call for the establishment of an EU-wide intelligence agency. Rather, Von der Leyen noted, member states should increase their intelligence-sharing.
The report does however propose the establishment of a joint EU crisis centre.
Turned in just before the US presidential election, Niinistö’s report argues that the EU must signal to the US that it is prepared to pay its own way on military and civil preparedness. He called on the EU to earmark one-fifth of its budget, currently worth some one trillion euros over seven years, on security and crisis preparedness.
He also urged closer cooperation between the EU and Nato. Since Sweden’s accession last spring, only four EU member states remain outside the alliance: Austria, Cyprus, Ireland and Malta. All but Cyprus are members of Nato’s Partnership for Peace.
Niinistö, 76, served as president for 12 years, during which time he maintained close, regular contact with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, along with US and European leaders.
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Publish date : 2024-10-30 05:25:00
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