Steph Deschamps / August 14, 2022
President Emmanuel Macron signed on Saturday, on behalf of France, the ratification protocol for the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO, which was adopted by the French Parliament on August 2.
This sovereign choice of Finland and Sweden, two European partners, will strengthen their security in the face of the current threat in their immediate vicinity and will make a significant contribution, given the capabilities of these two partners, to the collective posture and our European security, said the Elysee Saturday. Sweden and Finland have renounced their traditional neutrality because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Twenty allies have already ratified the protocols, Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna had said at the time of adoption by the French Parliament. The two countries need a ratification of the thirty member states of the organization to benefit from the protection of Article 5 of the Nato Charter in case of attack. However, Turkey, a member of the Atlantic Alliance, is threatening to freeze the process, accusing the two Scandinavian countries of benevolence towards the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and its allies, which Ankara considers terrorist organizations.