Uncontested Transnational Identity: The Activation, Strengthening and Superiority of Nordic Identity in Finland’s EU Debate of the 1990s

This article investigates the activation and transformation of Nordic identity during a critical political juncture in the early 1990s with respect to EU membership discussions in the Finnish Parliament. Triggered by Sweden’s pursuit of EC membership in 1990 and the post-Cold War context, the discourse surrounding Nordicness gained significance as Finland, Sweden, and Norway prepared for the 1994 membership referenda. Combining quantitative analysis of parliamentary speeches with close readings of the 1994 debates, the article examines why Nordicness gained political relevance, particularly in Finland. The quantitative analysis shows that Nordic identity was mobilized by both supporters and opponents of membership, shifting from an institutional understanding to a more value-laden identity characterized by such concepts as the Nordic model. The qualitative findings further indicate that Nordic identity was perceived as legitimate, future-oriented, and largely above criticism, with the main contention concerning its place within or outside the EU framework. Moreover, the results suggest that, specifically in Finland, this transformation paved the way for the construction of a Nordic identity characterized by exceptionality as superiority – rather than as difference, as was the case during the Cold War.