A Perussuomalaiset nightmare and the shadow of the Danish People’s Party
Migrant Tales wrote Monday a piece about the catastrophic election result of the Danish People’s Party (DPP) this month and why the result sent shivers up the Perussuomalaiset’s (PS)* spine.
In early June, the DPP saw its popularity nosedive by 12.4 percentage points to 8.7% (16 MPs) from 21.1%(37 MPs) previously.
The PS and DPP are cosy ideological allies.
Certainly, the result in Denmark shows that populist anti-immigration parties are immortal and vulnerable and can be beaten in their own Islamophobic game.
Another matter it shows is that issues like climate change, which explains the rise in popularity of the Greens, is taking over immigration as a top concern of voters.
Islamophobia and xenophobia have their limits, too. You can tighten immigration policy to the extreme but where will it take you? Is the final phase using boxcars to transport people to concentration camps?
It may well be that im
If I were a member of the PS, I would be worried, very worried about the future of the party.
Doesn’t the PS deny climate change?
This will not go down well with the voters.
* The Perussuomalaiset (PS) party imploded on June 13, 2017, into two factions, the PS and New Alternative, which is now called Blue Reform. In the last parliamentary election, Blue Reform has wiped off the Finnish political map when they saw their numbers in parliament
The Danish election result sent shivers up the Perussuomalaiset’s spine
After the good showing of the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* in April’s parliamentary election, it is surprising how little media attention the national media gave to the dismal showing of the anti-immigration Danish People’s Party (DPP) in this month’s election in Denmark. The DPP, which is a close ideological ally of the PS, lost 21 of its seats to end up with 16 seats.
“It’s great that the Danish People’s Party suffered such a loss in the election and it is a new chapter in Danish politics,” a Danish Muslim told Migrant Tales.
The election in Denmark was significant for two reasons: It showed that if traditional parties use the same anti-immigration rhetoric of populist parties they can win elections; populist parties can be beaten in their own Islamophobic game.
Apart from cries by PS vice chairperson Riikka that the party will win the next parliamentary election, the result in Denmark must have sent shivers up hers and the party’s spine.
What is worrying about the Social Democratic election victory in Denmark, and the defeat of the DPP, is that it may offer Finland’s Social Democrats an option to take the wind out of the PS’ sails.
Looking at the ever-anti-immigration rhetoric of the National Coalition Party (Kokoomus), it is already happening.
The rise of populism and anti-immigration parties in the Nordic region reveal that racism is a powerful political force and that present politicians are at a loss on how to confront it or, possibly, don’t care to challenge it.
* The Perussuomalaiset (PS) party imploded on June 13, 2017, into two factions, the PS and New Alternative, which is now called Blue Reform. In the last parliamentary election, Blue Reform has wiped off the Finnish political map when they saw their numbers in parliament plummet from 18 MPs to none. A direct translation of Perussuomalaiset in English would be something like “basic” or “fundamental Finn.” Official translations of the Finnish name of the party, such as Finns Party or True Finns, promote in our opinion nativist nationalism and racism. We, therefore, at Migrant Tales prefer to use in our postings the Finnish name of the party once and after that the acronym PS.
Migrant Tales Podcast: Ethnonationalism and white supremacy in Finland
In Finland, there are parties and groups whose sole aim is to defend Finnish white supremacy, a concocted lie to justify one’s racism and oppress and exclude people of color. Who are these groups and how do they operate?
Ethnonationalism, racist soundbites, and arguments to justify and promote white Finnish supremacy
In Finland, there are parties and groups whose sole aim is to defend Finnish white supremacy, a concocted lie to justify one’s racism and oppress and exclude people of color.
The Association of Finnish Culture and Identity (Suomalaisuuden liitto), responsible for whitewashing cultural diversity in Finland, and Suomen Sisu are prime examples. The Finnish Security Intelligence Service (Supo), Finnish Criminal Police (KRP), academics, and the Council for the Mass Media (JSN), labeled Suomen Sisu a “Nazi spirited” association.
Finland’s second-biggest party in parliament, the Perussuomalaiset (PS),* is where these far-right ethnonationalist groups have found a platform and springboard to expand and normalize their ideology.
One matter that unites them ideologically is that they live in a cultural time warp where culture remains near-stagnant and is under threat by migration and minorities.
Suomen Sisu’s mission statement reads: “Finnishness cannot be redefined, it can only be maintained and developed, or it will be displaced.”
While Suomen Sisu, an association that is openly against Finns marrying and hostile to non-Finns, has caused little outrage and is a source of concern.
Whenever you talk about your group as “a tribe” you start to flirt or flirt with racism. The PS Youth, which had their funds cut this year due to a racist tweet, is a prime example.
The logo of the association gives the impression that Finnish women walked around in ethnic costumes at a time where many people could not afford proper clothing.
The PS held on Saturday its annual congress where it reelected Jussi Halla-aho as their chairperson and three vice presidents, Arja Juvonen, Riikka Purra, and Juha Eerola.
While Halla-aho and all of the vice presidents of the party have built their political careers on the anti-immigration message, its newly elected party secretary, Simo Gönroos, is a member of the ethnonationalist Suomen Sisu and the Association of Finnish Culture and Identity.
Apart from his anti-immigration stance, Grönroos is the executive director of the Suomen Perusta Foundation, whose aim is to “prove” that immigration is costly and harmful to Finland.
Grönroos, an ethnonationalist to the core, was quoted in Helsingin Sanomat by giving his views of Finnishness and Finnish identity. He stated that “the starting point is that one is born a Finn.”
Then he offers a typical Halla-aho interpretation to justify the latter claim.
“If a Finn moved to Somalia, he will not become a Somali,” he reasoned. “If a Somali moves to Finland, he will not become a Finn even if he could be a Finnish citizen.”
This is exactly the same copy-and-paste response that Halla-aho gave in a YLE interview in February. “If I would for some reason go to Somalia and become a Somali citizen would that make me a Somali,” he asked.
In the search for terms to maintain white Finnish supremacy, Halla-aho, like Grönroos, want to separate so-called “ethnic” or white Finn from Finn just like the terms English from British.
“The question who is a Finn is [an] interesting [question],” Halla-aho was quoted as saying in the YLE interview. “The problem is that in Finnish we don’t have a term that classifies who is an ethnic Finn and a Finnish citizen.”
If the above isn’t an example of white Finnish supremacy and relegating Other groups as second-class members of society living as eternal outsiders without history, nothing is.
A clarification to Halla-aho and Grönroos: None of us want to be white like you never mind hold the same racist views as you. That would be horrible. However, everyone, irrespective of their background, is an equal member of society that defines Finnishness in the way he or she wishes. Finnishness does not and never will mean being white.
In order to understand how misplaced Halla-aho’s and Grönroos’ views are, we could apply them to countries like the United States, Canada, Argentina, and others.
The result: Minorities and Other groups would be outraged because it is justifying the whitewashing of their history and white supremacist ideology.
* The Perussuomalaiset (PS) party imploded on June 13, 2017, into two factions, the PS and New Alternative, which is now called Blue Reform. In the last parliamentary election, Blue Reform has wiped off the Finnish political map when they saw their numbers in parliament plummet from 18 MPs to none. A direct translation of Perussuomalaiset in English would be something like “basic” or “fundamental Finn.” Official translations of the Finnish name of the party, such as Finns Party or True Finns, promote in our opinion nativistnationalism and racism. We, therefore, at Migrant Tales prefer to use in our postings the Finnish name of the party once and after that the acronym PS.
Päivän sitaatti (Old No. 7/Scripta-blogi 2008): Rasismi on osa suomalaista kulttuuria
Kommenti, joka kirjoitettiin Jussi Halla-ahon Scripta-blogissa syyskuussa 2008, on muistututs kuinka rasismia hysätään Suomessa.
Sama sävel valitettavissa jatkaa tänään.
Nimimerkki “Old No. 7” kirjoittaa :
“Mikäs mies tuo Enriikke Tessieeri on olevinaan? En oikein tykästynyt miehen teksteihin, tuntui vähän siltä että näppäimistöön kajotessaan Enriquella on alkanut pyryttää pahemman kerran.
Eipä sillä, varmasti Suomessa on syrjintää, ryssävihaa, sovinismia ynnämuuta, mutta mitä sitten? Eikö niitä voitaisi jo laskea suomalaiseen kulttuuriin, on niistä niin kauan valitettu. Ja kun ne olisivat virallisesti meidän kulttuuriamme, voisimme vedota silmät vetistäen tiedostaviin tahoihin että meidän kulttuuriamme on suojeltava maahanmuuttajien vastaavalta. Se luultavasti toimisi….Ai ei?”
12. syyskuuta 2008 16:53:35
Tampere offers shelter and food to Iraqi family after Red Cross intervenes
Migrant Tales wrote on Monday about an Iraqi family with two children aged 6 and 5 that were evicted from the Kemi asylum reception center and given five days room and board by the city. The family left Kemi and went to Tampere, where the city gave them room and board.
The father was desperate on Monday and feared that his family would be thrown in the street penniless after Kemi offered room and board for five days.
“I am very worried,” he was quoted as saying. “I don’t know what to do and what will happen to us.”
The story about the fate of the family attracted a lot of attention and Tweets on Twitter. The Red Cross promised to get in touch with the family, which had left Kemi for Tampere on Wednesday.
We are grateful that our efforts helped to alleviate the family’s problems for now.
A friend of the family said that the family “is ok” but could not say for how long they would get room and board.
Migrant Talesin Podcast: Keitä olemme ja mistä olemme tulleet?
Iraqi family will meet with Red Cross representatives at noon in Tampere
The Iraqi family with two children aged 6 and 5 will meet in Tampere with a representative of the Red Cross at noon. The family was evicted from the Red Cross-managed Kemi asylum reception center after the Finnish Immigration Service said their asylum process was over and had to leave the country.
The father said that he was worried if his family would get the same treatment as in Kemi.
The city of Kemi turned its back on the family by granting only 10 days of room and board in two 5-day installments.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Let’s chat with Isabela Mihalache about the Romany minority of Europe
Isabela Mihalache, who is an expert on the Roma in Europe and who works at the European Network Against Racism (ENAR), Europe’s largest anti-racism NGO, speaks to Migrant Tales editor Enrique Tessieri about the situation of the Romany minority in Europe.