With its 1,300 kilometre border with Russia, Finland has become central to Europe’s security landscape, as geopolitical tensions push the EU’s security frontier northward.
As uncertainty around NATO and future US support grows, Europe is being forced to rethink its own defence capacity. In this shifting arena, countries like Finland are at the core of European security.
Against this backdrop, a liberal delegation of Members of the European Parliament visited Helsinki and Lapland last week to examine Finland’s security model, with preparedness and safety at the core of the two-day mission.
Hosted by Anna-Maja Henriksson MEP, Elsi Katainen MEP and Katri Kulmuni MEP, the delegation met with representatives of ALDE Party members Keskusta and SFP, and their leaders Antti Kaikkonen and Anders Adlercreutz.
Finland has long had to respond to hybrid threats and sustained pressure from Russia. Given its proximity to the aggressor, they have had to adapt as one of the EU’s most prepared countries. Since joining NATO in 2023, it has emerged as a key actor, offering unique lessons for the rest of Europe.
From targeted disinformation campaigns and weaponised migration to infrastructural damage, modern threats extend far beyond traditional warfare, requiring a more comprehensive approach to resilience and preparedness.
Henriksson explained how Europe can learn from Finland’s approach to civil defence and crisis management:
"The global political situation means that we have every reason to strengthen Europe and also learn from each other. Finland has a very special position in the EU. Among other things, we are an EU country with the longest border with Russia, 1340 kilometres. We are also at the forefront of preparedness in many ways. This is of great interest in the EU, and my colleagues want to get to know Finland more closely."
In Helsinki, the MEPs visited the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats, gaining insight into how disinformation, cyber-attacks and foreign interference are addressed in practice.
The mission continued to Lapland, where the delegation visited the EU’s external border with Russia. The delegation also met Finnish President Alexander Stubb to discuss the current state of the world.
The visit underscored that Finland’s security is inseparable from that of the EU as a whole. With an increasingly unstable security arena, Finland is increasingly seen as a model for how to prepare: going beyond traditional defence and placing civic and digital resilience at its core.