Finland is preparing: Protective bunkers ready for 4.8 million citizens!

Finland is preparing: Protective bunkers ready for 4.8 million citizens!

The Austrian Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen has ended his trip to Finland, which was under the sign of an increased security consciousness. Among other things, the visit included a tour of the Merihaka bunker system, which is used as a sports center in everyday life and can take up to 6,000 people in an emergency, which points to the comprehensive civil protection measures of Finland. Kleine Zeitung reports that Finland has more than 50,000 shelters, which can offer space for around 4.8 million people, which is about 85% of the population corresponds. These bunkers are an essential part of Finland's security architecture and contribute to the willingness to defend macrosocial.

In Finland, civil protection is a historically grown concept that was considered critical of national security after the Finnish-Soviet war. Despite the ending cold war, the country remained stable in the capacity of civil defense. All publicly accessible and private buildings had to be equipped with protective bunkers over 1,200 square meters. In Helsinki there are up to 900,000 protective places for the 650,000 inhabitants and visitors to the city, and alarms are regularly tested.

Current political challenges

Finland Today, he described the decision by President Erdogan and criticized the EU for their practice to outsource the border controls to Turkey. Halla-AHO demands a return to internal border controls in Europe and doubts the ability of the EU to combat the causes of the refugee crisis.

his focus on migration is in the context of a changing security situation in Europe. Finland's latest NATO accession, which the country realized more than a year before Sweden, is part of a larger trend in which national security is re-evaluated due to the increased threat to Russia. The clear support of the population for the defense of the country in the event of an attack - with 83% approval in a survey - is noteworthy and shows the grown sense of threat, which is also underlined by Finland's ambassador in Germany. Hundreds of new shooting ranges are currently to be set up in order to train both reservists and civilians, which is due to the increased interest since the beginning of the Ukraine War. Tagesschau emphasizes that the sensitivity to security risks is part of the current political agenda.

a strong future -oriented defense system

In addition to physical defense, Finland has maintained a stable level of military deterrent after the Cold War. The militia army currently comprises 280,000 active soldiers, whereby over 900,000 reservists could be mobilized in the event of a military conflict. These extensive security measures are not only an answer to the current geopolitical situation, but also the result of a long history of warfare and defense as well as the protection of national sovereignty.

Overall, it can be said that Finland not only relies on its military skills, but also implemented a wide range of civil protection measures to protect its population in uncertain times. This dual approach to security and defense is characteristic of Finnish politics and represents a crucial element in dealing with current and future challenges.