Looking more closely at the Finnish Military Service
In light of the increase in wars and conflicts not far from Finland's borders as well as the country's choice to join NATO, I wanted to take a closer look at the mandatory Finnish conscription. To what extent is it an outdated concept - and how could it prove to be an effective and important necessity?
Article 127 of the constitution of Finland defines the obligation of Finland's citizens to participate or assist in national defence. What exactly does this mean, and how does it effect the population as well as the security of the country?
In the Finnish system, a general conscription model is in place that defines a mandatory service for all males above the age of 18, which must be completed latest at age 29. In the majority of cases, young men enroll in the service after completing their school education. The conscription time ranges from 165 days up to 347 days depending on the type of service as well as the training that the conscripts must undergo in order to successfully complete their service. The reasons stated by the Finnish Defence Forces for conscription are to produce capable units and a large reserve in order "to defend all of the country if the need arises". Furthermore, the lack of Finland's membership in any military alliance is mentioned. Therefore, the country should be able to defend its territory independently in case of war or crisis.
The Finnish conscription model offers two major options of service: the military service, which the vast majority of young men enroll in, as well as the non-military service, which is called "siviilipalvelus" in Finnish. An application form must be filled out in order to take part in the civilian non-military service, which is carried out by those with inadequate health, political reasons or so called conscientious objection: "one who opposes bearing arms or who objects to any type of military training and service". The civilian service takes place in sectors such as social service, health care, education and culture, rescue services, civil defense or environment protection. Through this service, a conscript still fulfills their mandatory duty towards Finland without having to bear arms or participate in other military actions. The non-military service lasts 347 days.
But what applys to the people who don't fall into the category of being a Finnish male? This question arose when I first heard under which conditions the conscription takes place. The National Defense Forces state that women can apply for voluntary military service as well as non-military service if they wish to participate or want to pursue a career in the military. However, there is no mention of cases that are not as clearly defined or categorized on the gender spectrum. Additionally, there are cases where a conscript may be unable to fulfill their duty on the grounds of health, in which they are exempt from the military or non-military service.
Although a mandatory service guarantees a well prepared reserve in case of an attack or conflict, only seven countries in the European Union still uphold a conscription system besides Finland. Rather than making the service mandatory, other countries promote job and career opportunities in the military in order to recruit potential members. Additionally, military alliances strengthen and support the national and international security. Finland's alliances in regards to defense have rapidly changed in the past months, most clearly highlighted by the country's application to join NATO along with the neighboring country Sweden. The extent to which this will effect concepts such as the Finnish conscription as well as the general perspective on safety and defense in an international context is not easily seen, and leaves many unanswered questions for the future, especially in light of the ongoing war that Finland's neighboring country Russia is waging in Ukraine.
Sources:
https://www.finlex.fi/fi/laki/kaannokset/1999/en19990731.pdf
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conscription
https://www.finlex.fi/en/laki/kaannokset/2007/en20071446.pdf
https://www.britannica.com/topic/conscientious-objector