Austrian President Concludes Visit to Finland with Focus on Hybrid Threats

During his recent working visit to Helsinki, Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen met with Jussi Halla-aho, the President of the Finnish Parliament, on Friday. The visit included a tour of the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats (Hybrid CoE) and a guided visit to the Merihaka bunker facility. On Thursday, Van der Bellen and his Finnish counterpart, Alexander Stubb, emphasized the necessity for European nations to unite in response to a rapidly changing global landscape.

Jussi Halla-aho is affiliated with the right-wing populist party, the Finns Party (Perussuomalaiset). He is known for his stringent anti-immigration policies and was previously convicted of inciting racial hatred. Despite this, he has been a supporter of Finland's NATO membership and has expressed solidarity with Ukraine in its defense against Russia's invasion.

The Hybrid CoE was established in 2016 through a collaboration between the EU and NATO, aiming to enhance the capabilities of member states in countering hybrid threats, particularly in the realm of cybersecurity. This center serves as a vital resource for EU and NATO countries to bolster their defenses against increasingly sophisticated hybrid attacks.

On Friday afternoon, President Van der Bellen toured the Merihaka bunker, which serves as a sports facility during peacetime but can accommodate up to 6,000 individuals in emergencies. According to the Finnish Interior Ministry, Finland boasts over 50,000 shelters capable of housing approximately 4.8 million people, which is around 85% of the nation's population. These bunkers are integral to Finland's civil defense strategy, which has remained robust since the end of the Cold War in the early 1990s.

The Finnish military is composed of a standing force of 280,000 personnel, and in the event of an acute military threat, the reserves can quickly swell to over 900,000, representing nearly 20% of the population. Additionally, Finland has initiated programs to build hundreds of new shooting ranges for both reservists and civilians, reflecting a surge in interest in civil defense since the onset of the Ukraine conflict.

Finland's approach to civil defense has evolved significantly since the experiences of the Winter War against the Soviet Union from 1939 to 1940, incorporating comprehensive safety measures into its national security policies. Public facilities such as shopping centers, schools, and hotels, as well as private buildings exceeding 1,200 square meters, are mandated to have their own shelters, ensuring preparedness for potential crises.

In Helsinki alone, there are approximately 900,000 available shelter spaces for its 650,000 residents and visitors, with 180,000 of these located in around 60 major public bunker facilities. Alerts for these shelters are disseminated through applications or via sirens that undergo monthly testing on the first Monday of each month. In emergencies, each facility must be prepared for immediate evacuation and operational readiness within a matter of hours.