Mr. President Trump, please make Alex the UN Secretary-General!
Text by Harald Olausen
The fact that the President of Finland is getting to negotiate peace with Ukraine has made us Finns both embarrassed and proud. Thank you for this great opportunity, Mr. President of the United States. I have something to say. A very small request. Now that it seems that you get along very well with our President, and that you are in many good ways similar practical and productive political actors, wouldn't it be good if you could use your trusted man in some high international office?
Alex, as you familiarly called him to everyone's amazement, at the meeting of leaders of "willing countries", that you organized on Tuesday, is, as you said, a "young and influential" President whose talents are being wasted in a small insignificant country of envious people. You may not have known that Alex was hated in Finland because he smiled too much, was too cheerful and energetic a bright spot in an otherwise so gray mass. His own party betrayed him and "ousted" him from the party leadership.
Alex is an exceptional person in other ways, as you have surely noticed, also in politics. He continues the work of the Nobel Peace Prize laureate he greatly respects, President Martti Ahtisaari, in international diplomacy, and has also led Ahtisaari's Peace Office (CMI). Alex has also resolutely led Finland westwards to become one of the United States' closest and most reliable partners. During his first years as President, he has led Finnish international policy on new tracks together with NATO.
Mr. President of the United States, it would be best for you and the whole world, if you nominated Alexander Stubb as the United States' candidate for UN Secretary-General in the upcoming elections. The new international order and the new roles of the great powers require balancing diplomacy. Alex speaks of "value-based realism." He believes in cooperation and an international rules-based order. Alex's security policy is based on realism: "That's why we maintain a strong defense."
Realism also means understanding that the world's major challenges cannot be solved only with countries that agree with us. The United States has never had such a loyal and sympathetic international partner in the East. Finland has learned its lessons "according to the long formula" from its neighbor Russia since the 12th century and is very proud of it. I have sent a proposal to the Presidents of both the United States and Finland, and I expect support for my proposal. Let's hope for the best.