Flag of Nato is seen in front of coat of arms of Finland in Helsinki, Finland. Photo: Heikki Saukkomaa / Lehtikuva
Domestic
Finland’s State Audit Office has raised concerns over the way the financial impact of the country’s Nato membership has been presented, saying decision-makers lacked a full picture of the costs when the accession process moved forward.
The findings appear in a new audit report that examined Finland’s preparation for Nato membership, decision-making procedures and the economic consequences that followed the country’s entry into the alliance in April 2023. The report concludes that the overall process worked well, but identifies gaps in cost assessments and information flow between authorities and Parliament.
The audit found that ministers and lawmakers did not have access to an estimate of the scale of indirect Nato-related costs when Finland decided to join the alliance. While the government projected direct annual membership costs of between €70 million and €100 million during the accession phase, broader obligations linked to Nato commitments were not fully quantified.