Finland's Parliament Votes to Allow Nuclear Weapons for Defence Needs

Finland's parliament voted on Wednesday to lift the country's total ban on nuclear weapons. The measure repeals the prohibition on the import, production, possession and detonation of nuclear explosives contained in the Nuclear Energy Act from the 1980s. The bill permits nuclear weapons to be brought, transported, supplied, or possessed in Finland where the country's military defence requires it.

It also amends the criminal code to include exceptions to the prohibition on nuclear weapons. One hundred twenty-five deputies voted in favor of the government proposal. Sixty-one deputies voted against it, and thirteen were absent from the chamber.

The bill now requires approval by the president. Defence Minister Antti Hakkanen posted on X on Tuesday that the proposal would strengthen Finland's defence and enable the full use of NATO's nuclear deterrent as protection for Finland. Finland joined NATO in April 2023 after dropping its policy of military non-alliance.

The move came in response to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Prime Minister Petteri Orpo stated in June that Finland was interested in a French-led nuclear deterrence scheme. French President Emmanuel Macron unveiled a programme in March under which France would use its atomic stockpile to boost European security.

Opposition parties have criticised Finland's pivot away from its long-standing position of prohibiting nuclear weapons.