Editing Finland (section)

===21st century===

[[File:Presidentti Sauli Niinistö ja pääministeri Sanna Marinin tiedotustilaisuus 15.5.2022 (52075250080).jpg|thumb|Prime Minister [[Sanna Marin]] and President [[Sauli Niinistö]] at the press conference announcing Finland's intent to apply to NATO on 15 May 2022]]
The Finnish people elected [[Tarja Halonen]] in the [[2000 Finnish presidential election|2000 Presidential election]], making her the first female President of Finland.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.councilwomenworldleaders.org/tarja-halonen.html|title=TARJA HALONEN – President of Finland (2000–2012)|publisher=Council of Women World Leaders|access-date=29 April 2022|archive-date=19 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220519024324/https://www.councilwomenworldleaders.org/tarja-halonen.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Her predecessor, President [[Martti Ahtisaari]], later won the [[Nobel Peace Prize]] in 2008. The [[2008 financial crisis]] paralysed <!--DO NOT change to paralyzed, see [[Oxford spelling#Defining feature]].--> Finland's exports in 2008, leading to weaker economic growth throughout the decade.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://vnk.fi/documents/10616/339615/The+nature+of+Finland%E2%80%99s+economic+crisis+and+the+prerequisites+for+growth+-memorandum/07f3b69a-25cb-4347-a713-b0f91c23a931|title=The nature of Finland's economic crisis and the prerequisites for growth|first1=Bengt|last1=Holmström|first2=Sixten|last2=Korkman|first3=Matti|last3=Pohjola|website=VNK.fi|date=21 February 2014|access-date=29 April 2022|archive-date=20 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220120214313/https://vnk.fi/documents/10616/339615/The%20nature%20of%20Finland%E2%80%99s%20economic%20crisis%20and%20the%20prerequisites%20for%20growth%20-memorandum/07f3b69a-25cb-4347-a713-b0f91c23a931|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bofbulletin.fi/en/2015/3/shortage-of-new-firms-jams-labour-market-recovery/|title=Shortage of new firms jams labour market recovery|first1=Matti|last1=Virén|first2=Juuso|last2=Vanhala|work=Bank of Finland Bulletin|date=30 June 2015|access-date=29 April 2022|archive-date=21 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220521192236/https://www.bofbulletin.fi/en/2015/3/shortage-of-new-firms-jams-labour-market-recovery/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Sauli Niinistö]] was elected President of Finland from 2012 until 2024, when [[Alexander Stubb]] took over.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://yle.fi/news/3-10960387|title=Poll suggests record-level support for Finnish President|work=[[Yle News]]|date=7 September 2019|access-date=29 April 2022|archive-date=29 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220429054955/https://yle.fi/news/3-10960387|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.euronews.com/2024/02/12/five-things-to-know-about-finlands-new-selfie-president-alex-stubb|title=Five things to know about Finland's new 'selfie' president Alex Stubb|date=12 February 2024|website=euronews}}</ref>

Finnish support for [[NATO]] rose sharply after the [[2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine|Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022]]. Before February 2022, opinion polls showed a narrow but decisive majority against NATO membership;<ref>{{Cite web |date=26 January 2022 |title=MTV Uutisten kysely: Nato-jäsenyyden kannatus on noussut 30 prosenttiin, vastustus laskenut selvästi – "Turvallisempaa olisi lännen kanssa" |url=https://www.mtvuutiset.fi/artikkeli/mtv-uutisten-kysely-nato-jasenyyden-kannatus-on-noussut-30-prosenttiin-vastustus-laskenut-selvasti-turvallisempaa-olisi-lannen-kanssa/8340650 |access-date=1 September 2023 |website=mtvuutiset.fi |language=fi |archive-date=16 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220516045147/https://www.mtvuutiset.fi/artikkeli/mtv-uutisten-kysely-nato-jasenyyden-kannatus-on-noussut-30-prosenttiin-vastustus-laskenut-selvasti-turvallisempaa-olisi-lannen-kanssa/8340650 |url-status=live }}</ref> by April, a supermajority was in favour of membership.<ref>{{Cite web |date=11 April 2022 |title=MTV:n kysely: Nato-jäsenyyttä kannattaa 68 prosenttia suomalaisista – Venäjän vastatoimet huolestuttavat |url=https://www.mtvuutiset.fi/artikkeli/mtv-n-kysely-nato-jasenyytta-kannattaa-68-prosenttia-suomalaisista/8400808 |access-date=1 September 2023 |website=mtvuutiset.fi |language=fi |archive-date=26 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220426215025/https://www.mtvuutiset.fi/artikkeli/mtv-n-kysely-nato-jasenyytta-kannattaa-68-prosenttia-suomalaisista/8400808 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-61093302|title=Ukraine War: Finland to decide on Nato membership in weeks says PM Marin|work=BBC News|date=13 April 2022|access-date=29 April 2022|archive-date=13 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220513004125/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-61093302|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/04/22/finland-sweden-nato-membership-russia-ukraine-war/|title='Thanks, Putin': Finnish and Swedish Lawmakers Aim for NATO Membership|first=Robbie|last=Gramer|work=Foreign Policy|date=22 April 2022|access-date=29 April 2022|archive-date=29 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220429054955/https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/04/22/finland-sweden-nato-membership-russia-ukraine-war/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2022/04/28/nato-chief-says-finland-and-sweden-could-join-quickly-as-both-warm-to-membership|title=NATO chief says Finland and Sweden could join 'quickly' as both warm to membership|first=Joshua|last=Askew|work=Euronews|date=29 April 2022|access-date=29 April 2022|archive-date=28 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220428223530/https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2022/04/28/nato-chief-says-finland-and-sweden-could-join-quickly-as-both-warm-to-membership|url-status=live}}</ref> On 11 May 2022, Finland signed a mutual security pact with the United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-61408700|date=11 May 2022|title=UK agrees mutual security deals with Finland and Sweden|publisher=BBC|quote=The UK has agreed mutual security pacts with Sweden and Finland, agreeing to come to their aid should either nation come under attack. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited both countries to sign the deals, amid debate about them joining Nato.|access-date=12 May 2022|archive-date=31 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220531030455/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-61408700|url-status=live}}</ref> On 12 May, Finland's president and Prime Minister called for NATO membership "without delay".<ref>{{Cite web |date=12 May 2022 |title=Finland's leaders call for NATO membership 'without delay' |url=https://apnews.com/article/sweden-finland-sauli-niinisto-4ede1942b679dd15bd3021f9b194cbec |access-date=12 May 2022 |website=AP NEWS |language=en |archive-date=14 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220514041815/https://apnews.com/article/sweden-finland-sauli-niinisto-4ede1942b679dd15bd3021f9b194cbec |url-status=live }}</ref> Subsequently, on 17 May, the Finnish Parliament voted 188–8 in favour of Finland's accession to NATO.<ref>{{cite news | url = https://yle.fi/news/3-12449487 | title = Finland's Parliament approves Nato application in historic vote | work = Yle News | date = 17 May 2022 | accessdate = 18 May 2022 | archive-date = 17 May 2022 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220517123320/https://yle.fi/news/3-12449487 | url-status = live }}</ref> [[Finland–NATO relations|Finland became a member of NATO]] on 4 April 2023.<ref name="finland-and-nato">[https://valtioneuvosto.fi/en/finland-and-nato Finland and Nato] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220725152939/https://valtioneuvosto.fi/en/finland-and-nato |date=25 July 2022 }}. Finnish Government 3 April 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2023.</ref>