European Central: Finland Goes Exploring For New Trade Route
Ramberg
Finland has been very concerned about a potential attack from Russia since the invasion of Ukraine. This has caused the nation to prepare for the worse. After years of neutrality, Finland joined NATO. Now the nation is concerned about protecting itself economically as well. 95 percent of all Finnish exports are exported via the Baltic Sea, to the south of the nation. While Russia may not face an imminent threat of invasion from Russia, there is still a security threat in the Baltic Sea. This is exemplified by the explosion destroying the Nord Stream pipelines. To avoid this, the Confederation of Industries believes that a railway to the Norwegian port of Narvik to maintain the flow of goods. The Confederation of Industries encourages Finland to work with Sweden and Norway to jointly request financing for the project from the European Union and NATO.
Nord Stream Pipelines
Nord Stream I and II are natural gas pipelines from Russia to Germany. On September 26th, 2022 both pipelines were hit. Despite no gas actively flowing through the Nord Stream I pipeline due to the Russian energy company Gazprom halting the flow on September 2nd, there was still natural gas in the pipelines that leaked out of both pipelines. There are concerns that this is the worse methane release in history. Due to the difficulty of and necessity of underwater explosions in order to damage the pipelines, it is theorized that a national government is behind the attack. Accusations have been directed toward Russia, Ukraine, and the United States, yet there is no conclusive evidence to definitively blame a particular nation. Seymour Hersh, an American investigative journalist claims that President Biden is behind the blast and published a report about the explosion. The problem is Hersh only has one anonymous source making it difficult to accept it at face value.
Due to the uncertainty of who carried out the attack, it is understandable why Finland is concerned about violence interrupting its export of goods. International trade is responsible for a third of Finland’s GDP. The European Union accounts for 65 percent of Finland’s total trade. Exporting goods via the railway rather than the Baltic Sea would still allow goods to be distributed yet avoid an explosion in the sea from an unknown actor. Insurance premiums for trade on the Baltic Sea trade route may soar causing shipping companies to look for an alternate route as well. As Finland’s 833-mile land border to the east is entirely with Russia and the Baltic Sea to the south, the only option left for Finland would be shipping goods by train through Sweden and Norway.
Multiple Discussions Of A Railway To Norway
This is not the first time that a railway from Finland to Norway has been proposed. Instead, the idea has been around since at least the 1920s to create an Artic railway. The topic of an Artic railway was resurrected again in 2017. It failed however in 2021 due to concerns over the high costs of an artic railway. 6 years later, a railway from Finland to Norway is proposed yet again. Once again, the proposed railway would run through the northern areas of Finland, Sweden, and Norway, also known as Lapland. Besides allowing Finland to protect its ability to export, the railway and investment in infrastructure may help Finland change its position in the EU as a member state on the periphery to a transition country for goods with a new trade route.
The Rights of The Sami
An issue with the proposed railway is that it would potentially run through the land of the Sami, an indigenous group that has not had the easiest time with the governments of these nations. In 2021, two wind farms lost their licenses to operate as the result of a lawsuit that ended up before the Norwegian Supreme Court. It was ruled that the two wind farms violated Sami herders' cultural rights which are protected under international conventions. Despite losing the case and the Sami demanding the removal of the wind turbines, Norway’s government is refusing to budge. Greta Thunberg joined Sami in protesting the wind turbines and the entrance to Norway’s energy ministry. Finland and Sweden also investigated the historical treatment of the Sami in both nations. In the Finnish Constitution of 1994, the Sami were guaranteed cultural autonomy yet a railway that could impact reindeer herding, a cultural tradition of the Sami. While a railroad from Finland to Norway would be the shortest through the northernmost regions of the Nordics, this has to be done in a way to not disturb the Sami. The railway also needs to be planned carefully to avoid a potential lawsuit and loss of investment funds. A proposal for a railway to Norway was already postponed due to potentially disrupting the ability of the Sami to herd reindeer.
A railway from Finland to Norway was first discussed a hundred years ago yet it never materialized. Now Finland has an economic incentive to complete the project in order to protect its ability to continue to export goods, extremely important for the Finnish economy. While a new trade route is exciting for not only Finland but the European Union, it is important to consider the impact a railway would have on the Sami. European nations cannot place sanctions on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine only to end up violating the rights of the people as well.
