Majority of Finns oppose Finland NATO membership’

A new poll shows the majority of people in Finland are against joining the NATO alliance, and the formation of a common defense pact with the European Union.

The recent survey carried out by Finnish daily Helsinki News, showed 64 percent of the people remain staunchly against NATO membership, while only 18 percent of them want their country to become part of the Western military alliance.

The poll also indicated that 60 percent of the people oppose the formation of the so-called EU common defense, with only 23 percent supporting the idea.

It also showed that supporters of the pro-NATO National Coalition Party, the ruling party of Finland, are increasingly turning against NATO membership bid with the rate of support falling from 51 percent in 2005 to 38 percent in 2014.

Helsinki News has carried out polling on the public opinion about Finland's NATO membership for 12 years, and opposition to NATO membership has been a major feature of the public opinion in country in recent years.

"Finns don't want any form of military alliance," said researcher at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs Charly Salonius-Pasternak.

Salonius-Pasternak described the EU common defense as "unrealistic expectation," adding that "It will not happen," since most of the EU states are NATO members, and they are not interested in change of the current defense situation.

Meanwhile, support among Finns for joining the bloc hit the lowest during the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Source: Press TV