What was the first thing you noticed when you arrived in Finland?

‘We arrived in summer by boat from Riga, where I was ambassador before this posting. Helsinki was resplendent in the sun. I noticed a certain brightness, something pure in the atmosphere. Lots of people were out for a run or a walk. And it looked well-kept, people take care of their surroundings here: there were some toys in a children’s sandpit, and they were simply left there for the next child. It's just an anecdote, but it illustrates the kind of country this is: a high-trust society. There is a great deal of trust here in each other and in the authorities.’

Can you give an example?

‘Last year there were opinion polls to see how people felt about Finland joining NATO. The responses showed that 10% more of the Finnish people would be in favour of joining if they knew President Niinistö supported the idea. That says something about the regard in which the president is held, but also about the general level of trust.’

How do you explain that?

‘For that, you have to look at the past. In 1939-1940 Finland was at war with the Soviet Union: the Winter War. The Soviet Union wanted to capture all of Finland, but was unsuccessful – although ultimately Finland did cede some of its territory. But the Finns did manage to maintain their independence.

‘I can see that that war confirmed the Finnish people’s sense that they have to work together to get things done. And the sense that Russia is a profoundly unpredictable neighbour. That certainly has implications: the Finnish-Russian border stretches for 1,300 kilometres. Of course that distrust was vindicated when Russia invaded Ukraine, one year ago. The invasion sent shockwaves through Finland.’

What are the most important issues that the Dutch embassy in Helsinki is working on?

‘The Netherlands and Finland work together on matters related to the European Union. We’re very like-minded on the rule of law, the deepening of the single market and the green energy transition. And security and defence are our second shared priority. After Russia invaded Ukraine, Finland and Sweden both applied to join NATO. We are in frequent contact with them on this subject, including about all kinds of practicalities. What does it mean in practice to be a member of NATO? That’s one of the many questions we’re helping Finland with on its path to membership. Full integration in the organisation is a process that will take years.

‘Economic cooperation is the third important topic for us as an embassy. We’re working with Finland on Europe’s green transition. Natural gas accounts for only 10% of Finland’s energy consumption. They also use nuclear energy and, increasingly, energy from renewable sources, such as wind energy. We’re sharing knowledge on this topic and the embassy facilitates this. Together with the other Dutch embassies in northern Europe we have commissioned a study into the possibilities for generating and transporting hydrogen. I expect this to lead to future cooperation.’

What can the Netherlands learn from Finland?

‘I’d like to mention “Finnish resilience” in that respect. In the event of a major emergency, such as a widespread, prolonged power outage, the Finnish population are expected to be able to fend for themselves for 72 hours. Finnish people usually have everything they need to do this at home, for instance emergency supplies.

The government has set up an interesting crisis structure for this purpose. The Finnish Ministry of Defence has a “comprehensive security” committee, which coordinates the roles of various players in society in the event of a major emergency. This concerns issues such as, for instance, the electricity and water supply, but also what type of bread should be baked in times of shortage. Here too, you can see the alertness to possible danger from the east. Finnish society can be mobilised very quickly if danger is imminent. Finland is known as being a country with 4.5 million air raid shelters; all new apartment buildings and schools are required by law to have one.’

Previously you were the ambassador in Riga and in Lisbon, deputy head of mission in Stockholm, and head of the Economic Affairs Section of the embassy in Berlin. What’s it like to get to know Europe from every corner of the continent?

‘What goes on in Europe is very important for the Netherlands. That makes it very interesting to see how European cooperation works in various parts of Europe, and a good way to experience that is if you live and work there. And you also get to see what differences there are within a single country! In Germany alone, there are huge regional differences in culture and mentality.’

What do you want to achieve as ambassador in Finland?

‘The Netherlands and Finland are like-minded countries and generally have a positive view of each other, including at government level. There are many areas in which we could work together. What I want to achieve is to make that notion concrete, so that policymakers, businesses and knowledge institutions are able to actually make that connection in practice. That way, the embassy adds value. In order to do that, I want to promote the Netherlands, both in Helsinki and elsewhere in Finland. Because interesting things are happening in the rest of Finland too.

‘Take the northern city of Oulu, where I went on a working visit. A flagship research programme is being conducted there into 6G. I’m proud that our small team at the embassy works together in an integrated manner and is able to make connections in all kinds of areas and stimulate cooperation and exchange.  So that Dutch people get to see what opportunities there are in Finland, and the Finnish people say: let’s see what the Netherlands has to offer.’