Van der Bellen and Stubb: Security in focus at Helsinki meetings

Van der Bellen and Stubb: Security in focus at Helsinki meetings

On Thursday, April 2, 2025, Austria's Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen will meet his Finnish counterpart Alexander Stubb in Helsinki. The work visit is of great importance and focuses primarily on security issues that are of central interest for both countries, especially in the light of the current geopolitical situation in Europe. Van der Bellen will also make an appointment at the Finnish coast guard in the afternoon.

On Friday, another meeting with Parliament President Jussi Halla-Hao is planned. As part of his visit, van der Bellen will also visit the "European competence center to combat hybrid threats" (Hybrid Coe) and the Merihaka bunker system. The latter is usually used as a sports center, but can accommodate up to 6,000 people in an emergency.

security situation and hybrid threats

The meetings take place in a context that is characterized by concern about hybrid threats. Finland, which has 1,340 kilometers border with Russia and trembled the Ukraine War with disturbance, sees itself challenged by Russia's raid on Ukraine in 2022. In view of these developments, the need for stable defense arrangements and European solidarity is emphasized, which van der Bellen underlines during his visit.

Both countries, Finland and Austria, joined the EU in 1995, but remained alliance -free. Finland gained NATO membership in 2023 after submitting an application with Sweden. These developments are part of a wider framework of security initiatives in the European Union and NATO to combat hybrid threats. The Hybrid Coe, which was founded in 2016 by the EU and NATO, is working specifically on strategies for the defense against such threats that have been in focus since the Crimea crisis and increasingly in recent years.

migration as a hybrid threat

The European Commission has classified the border crossings as a hybrid threat, which is orchestrated in particular by the Belarusian government. Similarly, other EU countries also notice which skills are required to react to these challenges. The EU-Anti terrorism coordinator has also extended its tasks to the analysis of hybrid threats. In view of these points, it becomes clear that the discussion about regional security and hybrid threats goes far beyond bilateral meetings and is a strategic focus for the entire EU and NATO.

van der Bellen expressed concern about the geopolitical situation during his preparations for the trip and called on reliable partnerships to secure peace in Europe. The close historical connections between Finland and Austria, coupled with the need for common security strategies, could be crucial for how both countries react to challenges in the future.