Despite extensive debates on Finlandization, it has still not been precisely conceptualized in international relations research. Finlandization has been applied liberally to other regions across the world where it does not quite fit. This study concep...
Despite extensive debates on Finlandization, it has still not been precisely conceptualized in international relations research. Finlandization has been applied liberally to other regions across the world where it does not quite fit. This study conceptualizes Finlandization as an accommodation strategy characterized by low fear and autonomy based on a modification of David Kang’s model of a strategic alignment spectrum. This research examines the factors that create conditions amenable to Finlandization through MSSD (The Most Similar System Design): geographical factors, the historical relationship with the Finlandizer, consensus-based democracy, and cultural affinity. Comparative case analyses on Finland, Estonia, Poland, and Czechoslovakia are presented for this purpose. This study also analyzes how Finlandization is seen through the view of the Finlandizer based on a wedge strategy. Finally, it examines whether the application of Finlandization in Taiwan is ultimately a reasonable option for parties involved in this seemingly intractable issue.