We have written so much about the outbursts of far right Perussuomalaiset (PS) MP James Hirvisaari that it isn’t funny. One of his latest statements on Facebook, where he considers using the Swedish language in parliament as “ridiculous,” is not an attack on this language minority but serves to expose the intolerance and loathing that the PS has for minorities in Finland.
Every time a PS MP like Hirvisaari opens his mouth, he actually helps the PS lose its appeal among voters and what’s most important its chances of being a partner in a future government.
We hope that Hirvisaari, who was sentenced for ethnic agitation in 2011, continuous to stoop to ever-lower levels so that voters in his home municipality of Asikkala will give him the thumbs down in 2015.
A party that accepts politicians like Hirvisaari and a too long list of others like him doesn’t belong in parliament unless our aim is to send Finland back to the political dark ages when scapegoats and political witch hunts were the rule.
I think there is a lot of truth in what James Hirvisaari said. Swedish is not understood by most Finns that well, politicians included.
However, I wonder why you bring up this Facebook comment by James Hirvisaari, if you don’t at the same time bring up similar or even stronger comments by politicians in other parties. For example, Jouko Skinnari who is from Social democrats shouted during parliamentary session to Astrid Thors and demanded that she should speak in Finnish (“Puhu suomea!”). Later Skinnari explained that he didn’t want to prohibit speaking Swedish, but only to save time with a practical suggestion.