The Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party congress at Lahti exposed to the tee the far-right and racist beast that has always lurked inside the party. Riikka Purra, who won easy reelection as chairperson, rambled on with typical far-right talking points.
Claiming that white Finnish culture was under attack, she placed the blame on so-called mass immigration from developing countries that places strains on public services and will force the welfare state to collapse.
Purra equating Islam with “cultural intrusion” and how this is destroying the white social fabric of Finland. Oddly, she used the annual World Village Festival in Helsinki as an example of the cultural intrusion, which includes Islamization.
Without mentioning anyone specific, Purra states that “some decision-makers have themselves allowed, themselves demanded, and themselves promoted” the disintegration of Finnish culture.
If there are still any doubts that the PS isn’t a far-right and racist party, Purra’s speech leaves no room for doubt. Not only are her words offensive to migrants and minorities in Finland, but they are also a warning that matters could evolve like in the United States under Donald Trump.
The newly elected leadership of the PS. From left to right: Party secretary Harri Vuorenpää, Simo Grönroos, Teemu Keskisarja, Riikka Purra, and Joakim VIgelius. Source: Suomen Uutiset.
The Finnish parliament passed Wednesday the extension of the pushback law until the end of 2026. The final vote was 168 in favor, 29 against and two absent, according to the Helsinki Times. The passage of the bill means that Finland will continue to flout internationtal law and its commitment to human rights. It will effectively mean that the Finnish-Russian border will remain closed.
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me three times, shame on both of us.
Stephen King
One matter is a near-sure way of getting support in Finland, and it is the threat of migration. Keijo Korhonen, a Center Party politician, made a name for himself in the 1980s by instilling fear that the fall of the USSR would force thousands of Russians to cross our border en masse.
Xenophobia and racism are potent components of the undercurrent of Finnish politics that has been recently exploited by the far-right Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party. Anti-immigration was such a powerful topic that it handed the PS its historic win in 2011, when it saw the number of MPs rise to 39 from 5 previously.
In every general election after 2011, the PS has capitalized and done well thanks to their pet theme and message: the threat of migration.
On Wednesday, Parliament will vote for a continuation of the pushback law until the end of 2026, which effectively suspends the human right of seeking asylum.
The fear of migration, especially Muslims, is the fuel that the PS and government are using to get the extension of the pushback law across the finish line.
PS Interior Minister Mari Rantanen and the government have defended the law, citing “national security.” They claim that our national security is under threat, but they have not brought any evidence because it is a secret. But here is the question: How can you trust a xenophobic government and politicians who capitalize on racism? It’s like trusting the pyromaniac to put out a fire.
I have called the pushback law a farce and a lie to satisfy the political wet dreams of the PS.
It is shameful that parties like the Social Democrats, who should know better, with the majority supporting the bill that has caused damage to Finland’s international image and made us less secure.
The Trump administration is one of the best examples of the violent knee-jerk reaction of how white privilege reacts when threatened. As Nazi Germany proved, government’s will go to any lengths to defend their privileges, even if it is a fabricated threat.
No country is immune to such a situation. The rise of far-right parties in Europe is an example of the latter. All of them have one factor in common: outsiders are threatening to take away our privileges.
Fortunately, Finland is bucking the trend for now. The anti-immigration and far-right Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party, which is in government, has seen its poll numbers nosedive, as a recent Helsingin Sanomat opinion poll showed.
According to Helsingin Sanomat, the last time the PS’ share of the vote was at the 10% level was in January 2019, when it was 9.7%. It is today a far cry from its peak of 22.8% in January 2020.
The PS’ lack of support is linked to white privilege, which the party is attacking through its austerity measures that target vulnerable groups like single mothers and the unemployed.
The worst enemy of the Perussuomalaiset is the Perussuomalaiset.
The recent opinion poll published by Yle is a source of hope that Finland is finally awakening from its 2011 general election nightmare, when the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* saw its MPs in parliament soar to 39 from five previously.
The latest poll shows that the PS’ support plummeted by four percentage points to 11.4% relegating the anti-immigration far-right party to fourth place after the Social Democrats (25.3%), National Coalition Party (20.2%), and Center Party (15.6%).
The PS saw its support dive in April’s municipal and county elections and this is a bad omen for the party in the 2027 general election.
Even if the PS leadership blames their poor election misfortunes on “a red wave” and “poor communication,” the party’s membership in government has exposed its far-right neoliberal policies and agenda.
Many, like myself who have followed the PS closely since the early 2010s, are hoping that the PS will return permanently to the single-digit political leagues characterized by internal fighting.
In the face of what is happening in the United States under President Donald Trump and the rise of far-right parties in Europe like the AfD of Germany, one may ask if we have crossed the point of no return. Finland’s municipal and county elections of April offer us a clear no to that question.
In the municipal and county elections, the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* saw its results plummet raising speculation that it may be even a death blow to the party with parliamentary elections due in April 2027.
The worst enemy of far-right and autocratic parties and rulers is none other than themselves. Autocratic rulers and parties become success or speed blind until they smash against a wall.
In a watershed announcement by Germany’s domestic intelligence service it slammed AdF as a “right-wing extremist group.” This could allow the government to ban the far-right party. As guessed, the Trump administration has expressed its displeasure.
One of the lessons that I learned from my native Argentina, is that political turmoil caused by autocrats like military rulers have their days counted when they believe they are invincible. Today, we are witnessing it in the United States under the Trump regime.
As he promised, Trump is an autocrat from day one challenging the very institutional fabric of the country.
It would be naive and careless to believe that the US is now under attack from an autocrat. It has been under attack from within ever since it institutionalized slavery, injustice and runaway capitalism.
And what is even greater and offers a ray of hope, is that fact that you do not need an army to defeat the most well-equipped regime. All you need is a few good people at the right historical place and time.
An example of how the mainstream media spreads racism and frames migrants. MTV is supposed to be a “serious” source but last year it invited Interioir Minister Mari Rantanen to talk about the governments anti-immigration policy with a provocative picture on the right. You can read the lastest European Islamophobia Report 2023 here.
Opulence and inustice are a deadly mix that can destroy an autocrat like cyanide and it will end up killing and impoverishing it.
The recent municipal and county elections in Finland also are a cyaide pill for the xenophobic Perussuomalaiset (PS)*, whch saw its election result plunge to by 6.8% to 7.6% and by 3.3% ti 7.8%, respectively.
Few are shedding a tear about the dismal result of the PS in the election after it has spread in Finland xenophobia and attacked migrants and minorities. It is a party that appeals and spreads racism that are masters at playing the victim. The PS is a constant threat to our democracy and the rule of law.
Parliamentary election in Finland take place in 2027 and we’ll see then whether the PS will be relegated to the minor political leagues and was a brief political nightmare.
I’m always surprised by the aha moment of the mainstream media when it comes to the hostile and polarizing message of the Perussuomalaiset (PS).* After PS Interior Minister Mari Rantanen was caught with her hand in the cookie jar by attempting to favor Christians over Muslims in the quota-refugee scheme, Finland’s biggest daily reported that between 2015-2022 the PS led all other parties by a long shot by addressing in parliament the term Islam.
Of the 199 times Islam was addressed in a parliamentary session, the PS brought it up 66.3% of the total followed by the Christian Democrats, which mentioned it 7.5% of the total.
Another favorite terms of the PS are “Muslim,” “Africa” and “Somalia,” which were brought up by the party 58.9%, 95.3% and 61.7% of the total, respectively.
Is it surprising that the non-discrimination ombudswoman findings on discrimination of Muslims over Christians in the quota refugees slammed the PS as “openly Islamophobic?”
Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson not only blamed migrants for the violence in Sweden, he sent a message to all of the Nordic region. It’s called the blame game. Blame is an excuse and a tool for attack that distorts reality and a way to avoid responsibility.
He reiterated Sweden’s about-turn in strict immigration policy as a way to control immigrant and minority crime. “We have globalised crime, which is very much linked to immigration,” he was quoted in Helsingin Sanomat quotting TV4. “We have had very high immigration into Sweden for a long time. We have now tightened it considerably.”
Kiristersson’s blame and denial are straight from the populuist anti-immigration songbook. The message is clear: Just tighten immigraton law and the problem is solved.
Much of the Swedish public, which voted for Sweden’s most anti-immigration government in a long time, is also filled with wishful thinking. If the PM gives such a simple solution, then it must be true, right? Dead wrong.
In Finland, too, Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s government has blamed migrant youths for the rise in crime. A report published by us in 2023 showed how the anti-immigration Perussuomalaiset (PS)* have used the rise in youth crime in Finland as a way to gain voters and public support.
Instead of seeing a reversal in Islamophobia in the European Union, we see the opposite. The European Islamophobia Report 2023 states “how anti-Muslim racism manifests through systemic discrimination, political rhetoric, media narratives, and societal attitudes, exacerbated by geopolitical events such as the Gaza conflict.”
One of the key findings of the report are the denial, recognition and solution to the rise of Islamophobia.
In Finland, the new government of Prime Miister Petteri Orpo with the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* has normalized racism in general and anti-Muslim racism in particular. I wrote: “…because of the 180-degree turn in immigration policy. The government’s policies and assurances have failed to reduce the climate of hostility towards migrants and minorities, which is likely to continue to grow.”
White fragility is a defensive action, whereby white people react violently and defensively whenever racism is brought up. The aim of such hostility is to make the person bringing up the topic so attacked that he or she will not dare bring up the subject ever again.
Finance Minister Riikka Purra and Jussi Halla-aho of the Perussuomalaiset (PS)*, an anti-immigration party, often write and speak in a demeaning manner about migrants and minorities. Do their postings ever get old? They don’t. They are always there ready to release their toxicity.
THE POSTING WAS UPDATED
White fragility is a kneejerk reaction to instill fear and shut the mouths of racialized people. As an antiracist activit, one must be strong and not be intimidated by such hostility. Even if the concept of white fragility was coined by Robin Diangelo to expose racism in the US, it applies to Finland as well.
In a 2008 poting, Finance Minister and head of the PS Riikka Purra wrote with the pseudonym “riikka,” wrote: “If you gave me a weapon, [youth with migrant background] corpses would appear on a commuter train, you see.” Source: European Islamophobic Report 2023.
Engaging in conversations about racism may trigger a range of defensive reactions, feelings, and behaviors, such as hostile anger, fear, and silence. Finland is no different.
UPDATE: After I had mentioned to councilperson Tanja Hartonen that her past writings revealed how she voted to give money to the Crisis Center as opposed to multicultural association Mimosa, she exploded and started yelling at me stating a number of times what I wrote about her was “outrageous.” She said at the time she could have pressed charges for defamation.
Was her reaction appropriate and becoming of a member of a city council committee?
She was so riled up that I couldn’t utter a word, never mind falsely accusing me of of calling her a racist.
Note: I did not mention her problematic blog post on Uusi Suomi, she did, and it would have been a travesty if she could press charges successfully for writing such trash that was taken down by the moderators.
Below, is a post by Tanja Hartonen, today a Mikkeli Center Party councilperson who was originally a member of the Social Democratic Party and then became a member of the PS.
Below is a blog post that Hartonen wrote in 2014 that resurfaced by her in December at a Mikkeli city committee meeting. Hartonen’s posting back then was so toxic that it was taken down by the Uusi Suomi moderators.
Even if she attempted to playdown the posting by stating it was written a long time ago and that she was planning back then to charge me with defamation, does such a post ever get old?
At the time of her posting, Hartonen was eyeing the 2015 general election and certainly wanted more fuel for her campaign by spreading anti-immigration rhetoric. At the time I was also worried for four Muslim teenagers who moved at the time to Mäntyharju as quota refugees.
Below is the original 2014 posting by Hartonen that was picked up by Migrant Tales.
Writes Hartonen: “Soon Finland won’t look like Finland anymore, or Finns at this rate. At this rate, we’ll become a minority in our own country.Cultural enrichment (what a term!) is in some people’s opinion a good thing? Oh in order to make Finns more sociable? What’s wrong with our culture anyway? If somebody doesn’t speak or kiss you, that’s how things are.“
