Watching the assault on democratic institutions in the United States, Hungary, Poland, and other countries, one wonders what Finnish voters see in its own Trump- and Orbán-spirited Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party.
In Yle’s latest opinion poll published Thursday, the PS took first place by a hair from the Social Democrats (SDP), leading since May.
So what are we supposed to make out of the latest opinion poll?
The National Coalition Party (Kokoomus) strategy to flirt with the PS has turned out a failure. Kokoomus retreated by 0.7% to 15.9% and is now far behind the PS and SDP.
This has been proven repeatedly: Don’t try to imitate the PS’ Islamophobic message. Why would voters choose a lighter version of the PS if they can vote for the real thing?
SAD BUT TRUE: AROUND 18% OF FINNISH VOTERS BACK A TRUMP-SPIRITED PARTY IN FINLAND DESPITE ITS COMPREHENSIVE SOCIAL WELFARE SYSTEM, GOOD EDUCATION SYSTEM, AND HIGH SCORES IN THE PRESS FREEDOM INDEX.
The good news?
If the PS win the next parliamentary election in 2023, they will have to compromise and work with other parties to govern.
This isn’t a consolation but a warning that our democratic system may also be in peril.
