Helsinki, March 17, 2026 – The Europe Today: Finland’s main opposition leader Antti Lindtman has called for a suspension of government plans to remove legal restrictions on nuclear weapons, urging a cross-party review of the country’s nuclear policy following high-level talks in Helsinki.
Lindtman, who leads the Social Democratic Party, made the proposal after meeting Alexander Stubb and leaders of parliamentary parties at the Presidential Palace. He said the government should pause its legislative initiative and allow all parties to assess Finland’s nuclear stance through a temporary parliamentary working group.
“Parliamentary cooperation has long guided major foreign and security policy decisions in Finland,” Lindtman said, stressing the need for inclusive dialogue before making significant policy changes.
The proposal outlines the formation of a cross-party group representing all parliamentary factions to review Finland’s nuclear policy between April and June. During this period, Lindtman urged the government to freeze its current legislative project, with parliament later considering recommendations during its autumn session.
The debate centres on a government plan to amend the Nuclear Energy Act and remove provisions that prohibit the transport or stationing of nuclear weapons in Finland. Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen has indicated the government’s intention to eliminate most nuclear-related restrictions from national legislation.
The move has drawn criticism from opposition parties, which argue that the proposal was introduced without sufficient parliamentary consultation.
The government, backed by President Stubb, supports lifting the restrictions while issuing a political declaration stating that nuclear weapons would not be stationed in Finland during peacetime. Prime Minister Petteri Orpo has said such a position would be reflected in Finland’s foreign and security policy report.
However, Lindtman rejected reliance on political assurances alone, insisting that legal safeguards remain necessary. He also questioned why Finland should remove its restrictions when other NATO members, including Lithuania, Iceland, Latvia and Romania, maintain similar policies.
President Stubb, meanwhile, said discussions among party leaders had helped ease tensions and emphasised the importance of broad national consensus. He reiterated that no proposal has been made to deploy nuclear weapons in Finland during peacetime, while underscoring the country’s role within NATO.
“Finland’s deterrence equals NATO’s deterrence,” Stubb said, noting that nuclear weapons remain part of the alliance’s overall security framework.
The issue is also linked to Finland’s 2024 defence cooperation agreement with the United States, which grants U.S. forces access to Finnish bases, although current Finnish law still prohibits nuclear weapons from entering or transiting through its territory.
The government aims to push the legislative changes and updated policy report through parliament before the summer recess, while the opposition’s proposal would delay the process to allow for broader political consultation later in the year.
