MATTI PESU Introducing Ideational Foreign Policy Analysis Explorations of the Underlying Ideas of Finnish Foreign Policy Tampere University Dissertations 108 Tampere University Dissertations 108 MATTI PESU Introducing Ideational Foreign Policy Analysis Explorations of the Underlying Ideas of Finnish Foreign Policy ACADEMIC DISSERTATION To be presented, with the permission of the Faculty of Management and Business of Tampere University, for public discussion in the Paavo Koli auditorium of the Pinni A building, Kanslerinrinne 1, Tampere, on 4 October 2019, at 12 o’clock. ACADEMIC DISSERTATION Tampere University, Faculty of Management and Business Finland Responsible Professor supervisor Hiski Haukkala and Custos Tampere University Finland Supervisor Professor Tuomas Forsberg Tampere University Finland Pre-examiners Assistant Professor Director Tommi Koivula Dr. Kristi Raik National Defence University Estonian Foreign Policy Institute Finland Estonia Opponent Assistant Professor Tommi Koivula National Defence University Finland The originality of this thesis has been checked using the Turnitin OriginalityCheck service. Copyright ©2019 author Cover design: Roihu Inc. ISBN 978-952-03-1199-5 (print) ISBN 978-952-03-1200-8 (pdf) ISSN 2489-9860 (print) ISSN 2490-0028 (pdf) http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-03-1200-8 PunaMusta Oy – Yliopistopaino Tampere 2019 Acknowledgements True, the Finns have usually had no more than marginal control over the external circumstances of their country; their freedom of choice in foreign policy more often than not has been freedom to choose between two evils. But ultimately it has been their own decisions, not decision imposed over others, that have determined their fate. Just as in shooting a rapid in order to steer one must keep rowing, however futile or even absurd that may seem to someone watching from the shore, so have the Finns kept control over their own affairs, even at times when the current of events may have seemed irresistible. Max Jakobson, Finnish Neutrality, 1968 The passage above is from the English edition of Max Jakobson’s 1968 book, presenting the fundamentals of Finnish foreign policy to an international audience. His observation about Finland’s fate and agency in the streams of international politics became engraved in my mind while I was completing an internship at the Finnish Embassy in Vienna in 2012. This was the same year that I finished my bachelor’s thesis on Finnish national identity, and my interest in Finnish foreign policy was growing rapidly. I was so impressed by Jakobson’s writing – which, as I later understood was part of the larger effort to institutionalize the idea of Finnish neutrality in the West – that I decided I wanted to dedicate my professional energy to analyzing international politics from a Finnish vantage point. So far, I’ve abided by my decision. This dissertation is the latest stage in a longer continuum, namely my long-lasting interest in the ideas guiding Finnish external action. As said, my bachelor’s thesis took stock of Finnish national identity, more specifically the representations of the Finnish national self-image in the 2010 country brand report. My master’s thesis, in turn, scrutinized how Finland’s Cold War “small state-democratic” national identity influenced Finnish decision-making vis-à-vis the Invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968 and the re-independence processes of the Baltic states in the early 1990s. Finally, this doctoral dissertation is my most extensive effort to understand how ideational factors have shaped the actions of my native country. Having an ideational perspective on foreign policy has always felt natural to me. A sociologist would probably emphasize the effects of socialization, since the constructivist literature has held such a prominent place in the curricula of my dear alma mater. The story of how I ended up pursuing a doctoral degree is far less straightforward than this short reminiscence about my academic journey might suggest. In spring iii 2014, a few weeks before my graduation, Professor Tuomas Forsberg offered me the chance to work at the University of Tampere. The opportunity sounded interesting. I had no plans to start pursuing a PhD immediately after graduation, although doing a PhD appeared a realistic option sometime in the future. But consequential decisions are often made without special deliberation, and after a brief meeting in Tuomas’s office in Helsinki, I was already outlining my research plan. I have zero regrets. The journey has taken five years. It goes without saying that I feel indebted to a number of people. First, I want to thank Tuomas Forsberg and Hiski Haukkala. I have been very lucky to have you as my supervisors and mentors. You remain my most important professional role models. The sheer extent of what I have learned from both of you is something that has crystallized in my mind quite recently. I hope our rapport will outlast this dissertation project. I am also grateful to Tommi Koivula and Kristi Raik, who were willing to act as the preliminary examiners of the dissertation. Your constructive feedback and critical insights were of crucial importance in the final stages of the work. Occasionally, pursuing a doctoral degree has been a lonely process. But periodic solitude is not the whole story. Fortunately, I have had the chance to tap into the knowledge of a number of different communities along the way. First, I would like to thank all of those with whom I have worked at the University of Tampere – today known as Tampere University. I began my IR studies in 2010 and from the early undergraduate years to PhD work, I have had the privilege to learn from and work with many kind and talented people. Warm thanks go to Aino Hakovirta, Anni Kangas, Anne Nykänen, Hanna Ojanen, Eero Palmujoki, Hannes Peltonen, Mikko Räkköläinen, Tarja Seppä and many others for their overall support and constructive comments on the texts that I have presented at multiple seminars in Tampere. Furthermore, I owe a special debt of gratitude to “meta-man” Tapio Juntunen, who is not only a sharp theoretical mind and observer of international politics, but also an incredibly diligent colleague and co-author. The Academy of Finland project “Reimagining Futures in the European North at the End of the Cold War” in 2013–2017 afforded an excellent opportunity for me to delve into the recent history of Finnish foreign policy. Multiple seminars with scholars and decision-makers, roundtables and gatherings all stimulated my thinking and pushed my tentative ideas forward. The project was multidisciplinary, and it was exciting to experience how historians and IR scholars can team up in knowledge production. I must say my respect for historians soared. Their craftsmanship and attention to detail are truly admirable. Moreover, iv I also understood what distinguishes political scientists like myself from historians, and I feel that the project enhanced my identity as an IR scholar. During ‘Reimag’, I met a number of impressive people. Juhana Aunesluoma, Suvi Kansikas, Kari Möttölä and Kimmo Rentola deserve special thanks for their contribution to my work. I joined the Finnish Institute of International Affairs in September 2017 as a visiting research fellow. The last two years at the institute have easily been the best days of my professional life so far. The institute offers top-notch facilities for conducting research on international relations. But the best resource at FIIA has to be the amazing colleagues, who are always ready to exchange ideas on professional and not-so-professional subjects, ranging from great-power politics to the previous evening’s NHL results. The list of people that deserve thanks is long. First and foremost, I would like to thank director Teija Tiilikainen and program director Juha Jokela for their support and encouragement during the finalization phase of the dissertation. The fact that I was granted permission to complete the dissertation during my working hours was immensely helpful and speeded up the revision process considerably. Moreover, the directorship’s kind decision to financially support the language review of the dissertation eased my personal financial burden. I am also grateful to Mika Aaltola, Katja Creutz, Tuomas Iso-Markku, Juha Käpylä, Harri Mikkola, Anu Ruokamo, Charly Salonius-Pasternak, Marco Siddi, Ville Sinkkonen, Antto Vihma, and Mikael Wigell for their various inputs into my doctoral work as well as other projects. Furthermore, as a not so tech-savvy person, I would also like to thank Olli Hulkko and Matti Sneck for providing a helping hand in technical and practical matters. Finally, Johanna Meltti was always ready to assist me with my random research literature needs. Go FIIA! Then there is The Ulkopolitist. I cannot underscore enough just how important this community is to me. I joined the gang in 2012. I have been privileged to witness how an ambitious and iconoclastic outlet of less than 10 volunteers developed into a full-fledged and highly professional online magazine run by over 90 passionate experts. Without The Ulkopolitist, I would not have become so burningly enthusiastic about international affairs and, frankly, it is unlikely that I would have ended up pursuing a doctoral degree without the group’s profound influence. Although I am not an active member of the community today, there is a special place in my heart for The UPT. There are numerous people that deserve my gratitude, but I particularly want to acknowledge Jussi Heinonkoski, Mikko Patokallio, Christopher Rowley, Juha Saarinen, Timo R. Stewart, Anna Tervahartiala, Tomas Wallenius and Elina Ylä-Mononen. Thank you for countless inspiring moments along the way. v Finishing the project in less than five years would not have been possible without generous funding. I am grateful to the Finnish Cultural Foundation, the Foundation for Foreign Policy Research and the Kone Foundation for the scholarships awarded to my work.