NATO could soon further extend its reach by welcoming two new countries. Finland has already officially spoken, Sweden could follow shortly thereafter. Here in Brussels, where both the Atlantic Alliance and the European Union are based, feelings are mixed. There are those who welcome the prospect of strengthened cooperation between the two organizations and those who insist that we continue on the path of European defense anyway. The arrival of Sweden and Finland would represent the ninth enlargement of NATO.
How much has NATO grown
Since 1949, the number of member countries of the military organization has risen from 12 to 30. In a recent book (Not One Inch, Yale University Press, 2021), ME Sarotte studies the roots of the new Russian-American Cold War, recalling among other things that “the robust open door policy” was desired by the Clinton administration and sanctioned at a summit in Washington in 1999 The enlargement process is regulated by Article 10 of the North Atlantic Treaty. Membership takes place by consent of the allies. Turkey has been rumored in recent days about the arrival of Finland and Sweden and therefore possibly has the power of veto. Before the final approval, the country in question participates in the action plan for accession, a program that must serve to assess whether the candidate country is able to comply with obligations and commitments related to participation in NATO.
The point of view of the Baltic countries
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg promised a “smooth and fast” process in Helsinki and Stockholm (Ankara permitting). On the other hand, both Finland and Sweden already collaborate with the military organization. Benoît d’Aboville, former French ambassador to NATO, Prague and Warsaw explains: «The partnership of the two countries with the Atlantic Alliance has been active for some time. Above all, the collaboration with the Baltics is very strong ». On Twitter, Estonian President Alar Karis spoke of the sentiment of many in Northern Europe: “I fully support the historic step taken by Finland,” he wrote Thursday. “It’s a good choice for Finland and for regional security itself.” In a context in which the Black Sea has become a land of contention with Russia, the strengthening of the North flank is greeted with satisfaction by military experts.
With the accession of Finland and Sweden, the overlap between NATO and the EU would be strengthened. Of the 27 European countries, only four would not be members of the Atlantic alliance: Malta, Cyprus, Ireland and Austria. Those who believe in cooperation between the two organizations argue that this is a positive aspect. The President of the European Council Charles Michel himself defined the recent Finnish choice “a historic step that will greatly contribute to European security”.
Advantage or disadvantage for the EU common defense?
Other observers wonder whether the further enlargement of NATO to include countries of the same EU does not weaken the EU’s ambitions in the field of security and defense. How compatible is the much in vogue concept of European sovereignty with active cooperation between the EU and NATO? After all, the latter is dominated by the United States (even the instrument of accession must be presented in Washington, according to the North Atlantic Treaty).