Finnish Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen (NCP) has called off plans to attend the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) defence ministers meeting in Reykjavík on Thursday and Friday, due to his facing a confidence vote in Parliament.
The defence ministry announced the development in a press release on Thursday morning. Parliament is likely to take up the no-confidence motions against Häkkänen and the government on Friday.
Earlier this week, the opposition Greens' MP Atte Harjanne tabled a no confidence motion against the defence minister, with Left Alliance chair Minja Koskela seconding the proposal.
The parties have criticised Häkkänen's recent visit to Israel, where he met with his Israeli counterpart in mid September.
Deal with Israel
At the end of August, it was reported that Finland and Israel had quietly renewed a memorandum of understanding on defence materiel development and procurement cooperation.
The memorandum itself is not new. It was originally drawn up in 2013, and its previous period of validity was approaching its end. In early 2024, Finland proposed extending the agreement with Israel.
Meanwhile, the SDP has called for a vote of no confidence in the entire government. Parliamentary group chair Tytti Tuppurainen announced the move. According to the SDP, divisions within the government over Middle East policy are creating uncertainty about Finland's position.
Led by the UK, the Joint Expeditionary Force is a defence cooperation group made up of ten countries: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the UK.
According to the Finnish defence ministry, JEF member countries aim to build military capabilities, prevent crises, and respond together when needed. The group mainly operates in Northern Europe and the Baltic Sea region.
