Global South To Decide On The New World Order

“We in the West have to understand that unless we change our conduct towards the Global South, we could lose this game. We’re currently looking at a new state of balance that’s about a battle between values, power and interests.” In his appearances around the world, Alexander Stubb, Finland’s President since 2024, has consistently debated the question of the transformation of the global order.

Finland's president has been elected in direct popular elections since 1994. In 2024, nine candidates participated in the first round. In the second round, Stubb faced former foreign minister Pekka Haavisto from the Green Party. The difference in foreign policy views between the two candidates was minimal. Both saw Finland as a Western-allied country working for a rulesbased world order. The newly elected head of state's message on election night on February 11, 2024, was clear: “Now we no longer have Alex's team, now we all play for Finland.” Stubb wanted to be a unifying factor, the president of the entire people.

As president of the Republic, Stubb has advocated for value-based realism as the ideological base for Finnish foreign policy. By values, he means universal values like democracy, human rights and international law, by realism that we must keep up a credible defence capability. Realism also means we must be ready to sit at the same table with people who do not share our views or values.

Although being an EU enthusiast, Stubb has also talked about the rise of the Global South, showing understanding that global centres of gravity are changing. According to Stubb, it is the Global South that will decide on new global order.

Stubb made his political entrance with a bang in the European Parliament election in 2004. As a new candidate for the National Coalition Party, he received the second-most votes. He was one of the first politicians to use social media, updating his Facebook and Twitter accounts, sometimes live from a meeting.

In 2008, he became foreign minister, when his predecessor Ilkka Kanerva was forced to resign. In addition to his passion for foreign relations, Stubb has always been an ambitious athlete. He introduced exercise sessions on the agendas of his trips abroad as minister.

In Addis Ababa, Stubb ran in the Ethiopian mountains together with Olympic gold medalist Haile Gebreselassie. With his interest in sports, Stubb is an excellent example of a healthy lifestyle. Maybe public health will improve if some people follow the president's example and go for a run? Stubb is an avid triathlete and also knows something about golf and ice hockey.

Stubb became the chair of his party in 2014 when his Jyrki Katainen became EU Commissioner, a job Stubb himself had dreamt of. He served as Finland's foreign trade minister, Prime Minister and finance minister before being challenged as party leader by current Prime Minister Petteri Orpo in 2016 and losing. By the way, it was Orpo who asked Stubb to become a presidential candidate.

Finland has also previously had presidents with an international profile, but Stubb has both studied and worked abroad. At home, he speaks English with his British lawyer wife, and Swedish with his children. After his political career, he worked in the European Central Bank, and as professor in Italy. From there, he was nominated to be a presidential candidate.

Unlike many other countries, Finland’s president is not symbolic. The president leads foreign policy together with the government, is commander-in-chief of the armed forces and appoints high-ranking officials. Despite the fact most presidents have had a party political background, the president is above the daily politics. The newly elected presidents usually symbolically give up their partymemberships.

Many see the president as an opinion maker and an example for the citizens. A popular habit in many Finnish families is to watch the president's New Year's address. On January 1, 2026, President Stubb emphasised a tripartite theme of peace, growth, and caring, urging a forward-looking, confident approach to national and European security.

He highlighted Nato/EU membership, sustainable economic growth and social cohesion as key pillars for Finland’s future.

Finland has always been lucky to have presidents who have been the right kind of president at the right time. Gustaf Mannerheim managed to pull Finland out of the war in 1944, JK Paasikivi was the most suitable person to negotiate with Soviet leaders Stalin and Molotov, Urho Kekkonen's life's work was neutrality and the philosophical Mauno Koivisto prepared Finland's EU entry. Tarja Halonen broke the glass ceiling by becoming the first woman to hold the post.

President Sauli Niinistö became steadily more popular during his 12-year period. He had the people's trust when, immediately after Russia invaded Ukraine, he made an appointment with President Joe Biden in Washington to redeem the Nato option. The Nato membership that entered into force in April 2023 has brought a new element to Finland's foreign policy. Finland has also entered into a bilateral defence agreement with the US.

The charismatic, Western-minded and multi-linguist Stubb is the president of Finland in a new era. Finland has already benefited from his international contacts. The country is now a full member of Nato and the EU. And as usual, Finland will take all memberships seriously. Nonalignment is a thing of the past and the political contacts with Russia have been frozen due to its aggression in Ukraine.

At the same time, Finland has a tradition of peace mediation and human rights, which are also mentioned in the government programme. Finland’s active foreign policy will continue, but partly with new emphasis. If all goes well, Finland will be a rotating member of the United Nations Security Council at the end of Stubb’s term.

The author is Finland’s Consul General in Mumbai.

Published on: Friday, March 06, 2026, 06:00 AM IST