Leiden University Student Repository

Elenius, E.J.M. (2012)

The Norm Against Anti-Personnel Landmines

Advanced master thesis | Political Science (Advanced Master)

This study analyzes debates conducted at the Finnish parliament between the years 2001 and 2011 to find out key causal mechanisms that impacted Finland‟s decision to join the Ottawa Convention banning anti-personnel landmines in 2012. The study found empirical support for both constitutive and constraining effects which were necessary but not alone sufficient conditions for the decision. Without the left wing parties being receptive to moral persuasion there would not have been enough political will to push the issue forward and without peer pressure stemming from other countries and the ability of international institutions to lock in domestic decisions it is highly unlikely that the right wing parties would have yielded to accept the treaty. In the absence of the latter two, the right wing parties would not have been able to justify the accession decision.

Landmine

Norm

Finland

Author

Elenius, E.J.M.

Faculty

Faculty of Social & Behavioural Sciences

Supervisors

Hosli, M.O.
Meffert, M.F.

ECTS Credits

15

Language

en