Finland’s Perussuomalaiset (PS)* interior minister, Mari Rantanen, has pulled another fast one on the media. Anti-immigration politicians usually make outrageous statements that are then rebuffed by the media. It is a course in Fake News 101. Even if Interior Minister Mari Rantanen admits her claim, that millions of migrants are coming to Finland, to be…
Tag: asylum policy
Riikka Purra and the PS are desparate and fear being exposed for what they are: liars
Radical right Perussuoalaiset (PS)* chairperson, Riikka Purra, like Interior Minister Mari Rantanen, loathes Muslims and other minorities. Slamming and suggesting that Deputy Chancellor of Justice Mikko Puumalainen is a”liberal moron,” exposes her hatred and desperation. Purra, the one who said she’d shoot migrant youths on a train in 2008, now takes out her crystal ball…
“Black Friday:” Two Finnish government lies about migrants for the price of one
THE STORY WAS UPDATED In order to expose the lies of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s government, just look at the flagrant denials and outrageous claims. There are two that fit the far-right playbook to a tee: (1) We can shut the Finnish-Russian border and deny people the right to asylum; and (2) Vladimir Putin can…
Finnish Interior Minister Mari Rantanen: Spreading wholesale disinformation about Putin
Thursday’s A-talk not only exposed Perussuoomalaiset (PS)* Interior Minister Mari Rantanen’s total disregard and desire to trash international refugee agreements, but her propensity to spread disinformation to her voter base. The logic is the same that we’ve seen throughout history: I hate this group and this entitles me to spread lies about them at will….
Closing the Finnish-Russian border is a stunt to boost to the government’s sagging popularity
How can you trust a party and government that builds its support on conspiracy theories about asylum seekers? You can if you are gullible. Due to over 300 asylum seekers who came from countries with terrible human rights issues due to wars like Syria, Yemen, and Somalia, the Finnish government has decided to shut four…
Yahya Rouissi: Is the government serious about racism?
“The government must unequivocally distance itself from racism,” emphasizes Anna-Maja Henriksson, Swedish People’s Party chairperson and minister of education. National Coalition Party Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, declares, “As a government, we maintain a policy of zero tolerance for racism.” Upon hearing the above-mentioned statements, one should not be surprised why some are in a state…
Finland’s refugee policy returns to the Cold War
I was surprised again to read a story in Yle about Russian army deserters crossing the Finnish border “without permission.” Without permission?! Understanding that the Russian deserters had crossed the border to ask for asylum in Finland, can we state that there is something “illegal” about this? A ridiculous claim by a Finnish tabloid. How…
Government talks in Finland: to turn back the hands of time or not
Watching the ongoing government negotiations to give birth to Finland’s most right-wing and anti-immigration government can raise one’s blood pressure. The sticky issue National Coalition Party (Kokoomus) prime minister-designate, Petteri Orpo, hopes to resolve the sticky issue of migration and environmental policy. In the face of a chronic labor shortage due to Finland’s graying population,…
Nordic far-right populism is a threat to the welfare state and the region
In Finland’s parliamentary election in April, the country shifted abruptly from a left-wing government led by the charismatic Social Democratic Prime Minister Sanna Marin to a possible right-wing government. Some see the good result of the conservative National Coalition Party, and especially the far-right Perussuomalaiset (PS),* as a threat to those values, social welfare, and…
Nordic region’s lurch to the far right
The problem with xenophobic parties in the Nordic region is that all promote social exclusion and more social exclusion. If the elections in Sweden weren’t a preview of the political path of the Nordic region, the April elections in Finland confirmed it. In both countries, parties that base their support on suspicion of minorities and migrants fared well. Apart…