President Halonen opened the 2008 session of Parliament: Businesses also have corporate social responsibility

Responsible entrepreneurship, Finland’s security policy and the powers of the President were highlighted when President of the Republic Tarja Halonen opened the 2008 session of the Parliament on Tuesday, 5 February. “What exactly is corporate social responsibility?”, President Halonen asked. According to her, businesses too have a corporate social responsibility for environmentally and socially just sustainable development. There are no easy answers to the situation in Kemijärvi. “Ultimately, however, it is up to Parliament to decide what the central government does and what its ownership policy is. Power comes with responsibility.” According to President Halonen, human security has emerged as an increasingly important factor alongside national security. Today’s security challenges require regional and worldwide international cooperation: “We simply must work together to curb climate change and to promote a fairer globalisation.”

President Halonen opening the 2008 session of Parliament. Speaker of the Parliament Sauli Niinistö, on the left, is listening. Photo: Lehtikuva

The aim of our security policy is to promote the security and welfare of Finland and of its citizens. In accordance with the principles of the OSCE, we cannot promote our security at the expense of others. “Finland is a producer, not a consumer, of security”, President Halonen said in her speech to Parliament.

Broad-based representation is a strength

“Finland must be prepared to carry an independent nation’s responsibility for military defence of the country. This is true under all circumstances, whichever union or alliance we may belong to. We may receive help in an eventual emergency from others, as we have helped and will help others”, President Halonen noted. According to her, it is not realistic to imagine that someone else would manage the national defence of Finland for us.

President Halonen stated that the principal aims of constitutional reform have come true as far as the balance of power between the highest organs of government is concerned. A broad-based representation in Finland’s international relations has been a strength: “Finnish foreign policy is conducted jointly by the President and the Government, particularly the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister, and this cooperation has worked well (--) It is advantageous for decision-making that the highest organs of government are bound by law to cooperate. The more important the issue, the greater the consensus should be.”

“The people, from whom the power is derived, seem reasonably satisfied with the Constitution, as indeed with the procedure of choosing their head of state by direct popular vote. To enact significant changes to this so soon would require pressing reasons for doing so and widespread public approval”, President Halonen said.

President Halonen and Doctor Arajärvi greeted Seppo Käärinen (left) and Sauli Niinistö when arriving to the ecumenical service. In the background, Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen and President Mauno Koivisto. Photo: Lehtikuva

Full text of the speech