Resilience in Finnish security and defence rhetoric: Examining colonial underpinnings

This paper examines Finland’s transformed security and defence policies. Following a broader European trend, Finland has begun emphasising resilience as a source of national security. Drawing on previous scholarship that has problematised the normalisation of resilience in security discussions, we examine Finland’s resilience rhetoric. Our focus is on two government reports from 2024 that represent the country’s new security vocabulary. Using Toulmin’s model or argumentation, we dissect how the argument for security-driven resilience is constructed. Finland is an Arctic country where an Indigenous people — the Sámi — live and, overall, the country has acknowledged Indigenous peoples’ vital role in the development of the region. Accordingly, it is pertinent to study how the notion of resilience proffered by the state acknowledges Sámi perspectives. By problematising the assumptions of unity and neutrality that characterise Finland’s security and defence rhetoric, the paper contributes to the discussions on the colonial underpinnings of resilience.