In the heart of Europe, Finnish diplomats are reigniting an age-old tradition with a modern-day purpose: the art of “sauna diplomacy,” a practice now strategically deployed to counter Russian espionage. Amidst the rising tide of covert Russian intelligence activities, Finnish officials have turned to their culturally embedded saunas as a bastion for secure, candid dialogue.
Kai Sauer, the Finnish ambassador to Germany, said the sauna had long been a “safe place” to have sensitive discussions on a level playing field – everyone is quite literally stripped bare. In an interview with the Telegraph, he said: “It has many features, many dimensions. It can be promoting the sauna itself as a well-being concept. But then it can also be a place, a safe place, where you have confidential discussions or it can be a place where you build relationships.
The Finnish embrace of sauna diplomacy is driven not only by tradition but also by urgent contemporary needs. With Russian hackers and spies intensifying their efforts to breach Western communication channels, Finnish diplomats are leveraging their saunas to hold discreet conversations. The recent interception by Moscow of sensitive discussions regarding the delivery of Taurus missiles, due to some German air force officers using insecure lines, underscores the necessity of secure communication methods. The incident, which has prompted a German investigation into the so-called “Luftwaffe leaks,” ironically positions sauna diplomacy as a potential alternative for secure exchanges.
Notably, the practice has gained a soft power dimension as well, with the Finnish embassy in Berlin preparing to host a special exhibition and sauna festival in April. The installation of a sauna at NATO’s headquarters, coinciding with Finland’s application to join the alliance in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, signifies a warm welcome and a nod to the cultural significance of the sauna in Finnish diplomacy.
The sauna’s role extends beyond mere conversation. “The invitation to the sauna is a sign of trust,” Sauer explained, with the shared experience engendering a bond that is highly regarded in Finnish public diplomacy. As almost half of the Finnish parliament is female, Finland has evolved past the controversies of the past, such as the male-only sauna briefings with journalists that raised eyebrows in 2012.
The ethos of sauna diplomacy stands in stark contrast to the clandestine and murky world of espionage. It represents a transparent, egalitarian approach to dialogue and decision-making, one that eschews hidden agendas and electronic devices in favor of personal connection and mutual respect. This stark dichotomy between the openness of the Finnish sauna and the shadows of Russian espionage underscores a battle not just of policies but of principles.
Relevant articles:
– Finnish diplomats turn to ‘sauna diplomacy’ to evade Russian spies
– Ukraine says Russian drone, missile attacks damage power facilities, Yahoo News Canada, Sat, 30 Mar 2024 22:28:34 GMT
– The Finnish Art of Sauna Diplomacy, Foreign Policy, Tue, 04 Apr 2023 07:00:00 GMT
– EU Influence: MEP’s media moonlighting — Euroskeptic Qatargate take — Uber’s new EU face, POLITICO Europe, Thu, 06 Apr 2023 07:00:00 GMT