Vanhasuomalaisuutta uusintamassa : Kokoomuksen ja SDP:n ryhmäpuheenvuorot EU:n ulko- ja turvallisuuspolitiikasta 1995-2000

Authors

• Rita Dahl

Abstract

Parliamentary documents have not generated a lot of interest among political scientists. Little attention has been paid to foreign and security policy rhetoric in particular. This article, which is based on my thesis in political science and covers the years of Finnish EU membership, 1995–2000, suggests that a general rhetorical figure can be seen in the parliamentary documents of the National Coalition and the Social Democrats. I have examined these parliamentary documents for possible traces of, or clear differences with, an Old Finn mentality that dates from the nineteenth century. With the help of tools provided by Perelman’s new rhetoric I suggest that the most important justification that appears is “justification by totality”. Member countries must place their expertise in the service of the totality. In Finland’s case this expertise is connected with peacekeeping. Old Finnish traits can be found in both parties’ discourse although some contrary features are present too. At the mythical level, the National Coalition talks about “the economization of security” whereas Social Democrats refer to “the moralization of security”.