Jukka Salovaara proposes moving Finnish intelligence service to Foreign Ministry

Jukka Salovaara, the outgoing State Secretary for the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, has sparked political debate by suggesting that the Finnish Security Intelligence Service (Suojelupoliisi) should be placed under the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

Speaking at an ambassadors' meeting during his final week in the role, Salovaara noted that the intelligence service, which has transitioned into a civilian intelligence agency, would benefit from closer integration with the Ministry's extensive foreign policy information network. He cited Sweden's model, where a similar organization is under the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, as a precedent.

The suggestion touches on a sensitive domestic political issue regarding the oversight of the intelligence service. Current political preferences differ: Interior Minister Mari Rantanen favors keeping the service under the Ministry of the Interior, while Prime Minister Petteri Orpo has expressed interest in moving it under the Prime Minister's Office.

Salovaara is transitioning to a new role as the EU Ambassador to the United Kingdom. His tenure as State Secretary was marked by significant diplomatic work, including managing Finland's NATO accession process and negotiations with Turkey.