ADDRESS BY
THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC AT THE OPENING OF THE
ANNUAL SESSION OF PARLIAMENT ON 4.2.2000
Equality matters a lot to the
Finns. A good example of this is found in Väinö
Linna’s novel "Here Beneath the North
Star" when Akseli Koskela says that he looks at
everyone he meets from the level of his own eyes
"no matter what a big shot he is". That is
something that every Finn can say. It is also the
initial premise in our new Constitution.
I have been pleased to see an
extensive revision of trial procedures completed
during my term of office. That has required much
effort on the part of both law drafters and
Parliament. Our experience to date of the
effectiveness of the new procedures is mainly
positive. However, I wish to draw attention to one
aspect.
The prerequisites for solutions to
juridical problems, i.e. judgements, being socially
acceptable include not only clear arguments in
support of those solutions, but also general respect
for the way in which the law is administered. It must
be possible to see every judgement as a
carefully-considered stance taken by an independent
court and intended to be final. It is not good for
the credibility of judgements if too many trials are
perceived by people as an event that is performed
from beginning to end more than once in the same way.
An absolutely unrestricted right to
appeal against a judgement of a lower court has been
considered important in Finland. If, however, appeals
become the rule rather than the exception, distrust
of rulings by lower courts will naturally increase.
Parliament itself has set the goal of transferring
the emphasis in trial-related matters to the lower
courts. Thus we have every reason to examine the
effects of our restructuring of the appellate courts
system and our experience of operating it from a
longer-term perspective and, if it appears necessary
to do so, draft amendments to the law.
* * *
Ensuring a secure life is nowadays
seen as a more important task for the public
authorities than it was in the past. However,
increasing control or making penalties tougher are
not adequate means of creating security in everyday
life, because they treat symptoms rather than
tackling causes.
The most sustainable way of
ensuring people’s safety is to guarantee that
the foundation of our society remains sound. We need
a sense of shared responsibility for those who have
been marginalised or are in danger of being excluded
from society. We need social policy and effective
safety nets.
That signs of marginalisation and
growing inequality between people are appearing just
when the economy is on an upswing is all the more
worrying. If inequality continues to increase, it may
provide a growth substrate for many kinds of social
problems, including crime.
The way the drug problem is being
dealt with and treatment services for substance
abusers provide a topical example. Crimes and
recidivism are often associated with substance abuse.
Many crimes of violence are committed in a state of
intoxication, whilst crimes of larceny are often a
means of obtaining money for drugs. More and more
often, drugs are affecting the lives of young people.
A growing proportion of the prison population is
likewise suffering from substance dependence that
requires treatment.
We need to ask whether these people
are receiving the help and treatment they need or if
the problems are being neglected because society can
not agree on who will pay the bill. However, tackling
the drug problem would be an effective means of
getting young people to abandon a career of crime in
its very early stage. It would also often be the
fastest way of reducing the number of repeat
offenders - not to speak of the other savings that
could be achieved through treatment and
rehabilitation.
The same applies to mental health
care services. The economies now being striven for in
them could prove very short-lived. Left without
treatment, a child’s or young adult’s
psychiatric problems could later turn out very
expensive for all concerned.
* * *
Cross-border threats to security
are nowadays no longer entirely military. New issues
like those of international crime, environmental
problems and nuclear safety have become more serious
from the perspective of people’s everyday lives.
The work done during the Finnish Presidency and its
culmination in the extraordinary summit in Tampere
show that the European Union is for us an
increasingly important means of combatting these
threats.
Although our perception of security
is nowadays a broad one, the threat of military
conflicts has not vanished from the scene, either. It
is true that the threat of a global conflict declined
substantially when the Cold War ended, but armed
internecine conflicts and also regional ones seem to
have increased rather than becoming fewer.
The civilian population suffers
intolerably in situations where states are either
unwilling or unable to protect their own citizens.
The international community can not stand idly by and
watch situations like that, as the UN
Secretary-General told the General Assembly last
autumn. The development of international humanitarian
law and of media technology has made violations of
human rights something that concerns us all. That the
international community today does not have nearly
enough of the institutional and material resources
that would be needed to deal effectively with all
violations is no excuse for us to evade our
responsibility.
In the days of the Cold War we
became accustomed to thinking that a conventional,
limited war was no longer possible in Europe.
However, the events of the past decade, above all in
the Balkans and Caucasia, have opened our eyes to the
bleak reality. The work of the Organisation for
Security and Cooperation in Europe and of the Council
of Europe must be made more effective; the European
Union must be enlarged. Only prosperity and justice
as well as genuine respect for human rights and
peaceful coexistence between different majorities and
minorities can eliminate armed conflicts from our
continent.
Even then, we can not isolate
ourselves from problems and their consequences
elsewhere in the world. The United Nations and its
associated international organisations will continue
to be our most important instrument as we strive to
enhance the security of humankind. On the other hand,
these organisations evolved in the world of the Cold
War, a world that has undergone a profound
transformation in the meantime. If we are to be able
to guarantee coming generations of humankind a secure
future, we must be able to reform the institutions of
the international community.
* * *
Even when dealing with the issues
of day-to-day politics, decision makers must also be
mindful of the long-term ramifications of their
decisions. At the same time they must be able to
anticipate the issues that will be of growing
importance. Predicting the effects of decisions and
more generally making provision for the challenges of
the future feature prominently in the work of the
Finnish Parliament. In this respect its various
preparatory bodies, such as the Committee for the
Future, have done valuable work that has deservedly
been acclaimed abroad.
A discourse on social policy and
research in relation to it are especially important
to us, because our country is in the throes of rapid
change. Finland’s reputation and economic
success are nowadays based largely on a high level of
technical knowledge and rapid implementation of new
technology. We have been doing well in this stage of
the knowledge society’s development.
Now we shall have to take the next
steps towards a stage in which people and their needs
will play a central role alongside technology. We
must not build a society in which only some people
are able to function as fully-fledged members. We
must ensure that all of our country’s
inhabitants, irrespective of age, domicile and social
background, have the wherewithal to cope, succeed and
manage their own lives. A development like this will
not take place automatically; it will require
conscious decisions.
* * *
Powerful changes in the economy
have occupied our attention in recent years. We have
spoken of capital flows, indebtedness, prosperity and
economic inequality. The might of the market is
great, but we must not allow it to obscure our
concept of humanity. Culture and education will
remain our most important resources. Let us hope that
in the new millennium Finnish society will channel
its energy more into promoting intellectual growth
and struggling against poverty of spirit.
I hereby declare the 2000 Annual
Session of Parliament open and wish you success in
your work.
