Finland has become in a short time a country that has lost its way. The police service, public officials like politicians, even ministers, who should know better, don’t. The most shameful matter that exposes these wretched times is that we’ve allowed xenophobia and populism to not only enter through the back door but permitted it to grow before our eyes.
This strange and poisonous fruit of far-right and right-wing populism feeds on our silence, indifference, and mixed statements. It deceives us into believing that we won’t be its next target after we’ve got rid of groups they scapegoat.
Nothing, absolutely nothing, could be further from the truth.
We are not only seeing right-wing populism and fascism in Finland raise their ugly faces and take root in this country but with the help of mainstream parties, politicians, and the media.
Populist nationalism, be if from the right or left, and xenophobia have always been strong in Finland but kept in check. That is not the case any longer.
A good example of the latter is the rise of the Perussuomalaiset (PS)*, which now shares power with the Center Party and National Coalition Party (NCP).
The relationship that the PS has with the Center Party and NCP is in many cases disturbing. The PS gives its support to the massive cutbacks in social welfare and the Center Party and NCP allow the PS to pursue its anti-immigration policies in government.
It’s not only is a relationship of convenience but one that is clearly hostile to our ever-growing culturally diverse society since it aims to demote migrants and minorities in Finland from second- to third- and fourth-class citizens.
There are many sad examples of where institutions like the police service that should know better have failed but shown their hostility and prejudice towards migrants and minorities.
The hearsay, suspicion, and urban tales spread about asylum seekers and migrants in Finland is so thick that one blogger suggested that the next step would be using an anti-Dracula kit. Source: Saku Timonen and FB/The Vintage News.
A good example of the latter is an announcement by the Helsinki police that they have suspended their investigation into except for one case where alleged large-scale sexual harassment carried out by men “who appeared to be foreign-looking,” according to YLE News.
