Finnish and European identity

Helsinki, 13 May 2015

In the current Finland and also elsewhere in Europe, nationalism and populism seem to be the trend. So, it is quite brave to even try to put forward issues relating to European identity and European citizenship. Anyhow we should. There are, as we know from the history, so many disastrous examples of herd behavior related to nationalism, the ultimate being war. As former French President Mitterand has said: “Nationalism – c’est la guerre”.
Of course European identity cannot develop so that citizens first abandon their own national identity and adopt a new European identity. European identity develops through our understanding that we can realize our national characteristics better when united than alone. Flourishing societies and cultures have never been those in isolation. On the contrary, it is exactly those societies which have best been able to participate in a creative dialogue in international communities that are wealthier and richer in culture. National and European identity do not compete.
Finland is a good example of this orientation. In the beginning of the Finnish national awakening mid-1800s it was clearly understood that our national identity and true freedom in the end will emerge not from being alone and separate but from participating and taking responsibility in the world from various perspectives. This is reflected brilliantly in the writings of Aleksis Kivi (1834-1872). In his beloved novel “Seven Brothers”, he leads the rebelling brothers, who first took the solution to escape from the treacherous world to the isolation in the wilderness of “Impivaara”, back to become active members of the civil society.
I hope and believe that despite some tendencies of isolation to “Impivaara”, recently experienced in the political sphere of Finland, common sense will prevail. We need to rely on our history, and start to see ourselves in a more mature way as what we are: the nation build on European, western values since centuries and who even during the difficult cold war era was able to preserve them.
Paavo Lipponen, former Prime Minister of Finland, has illustrated this well in his book “Järki voittaa” (common sense will win) which was recently translated into German (“Die Vernunft Siegt” by Berliner Wissenschaftsverlag). He refers to the three slices of good luck, which helped Finns to develop their identity and later on, to create a nation-state of Finland: firstly, since 12th or 13th century Finland was for more than 600 years an eastern part of the Swedish Empire and thus connected to western civilization; secondly, during the autonomous period as a Grand Duchy of Russia, Finland was able to preserve its legislation from the Swedish era and to establish its own administrative institutions, and finally, in the uncertain aftermath of the 1st World War Finland was able to take the opportunity to declare herself as an independent state in 1917.
It is indeed natural and in our interest to show Europeanism and contribute to the success of European integration. European identity is needed for the European civil society to become strong enough to push forward the political programme of European integration in a legitimate way.