The non-discrimination ombudswoman, Kristina Stenman, who began her term in August 2020, was not chosen to continue in her post due to pressure from Perussuomalaiset (PS)*, according to reports by Helsingin Sanomat. Upon investigating the changes in the quota refugee system in 2025, which would be manipulated by PS Interior Minister Mari Rantanen’s office to exclude Muslims,…
Tag: xenophobia
Perussuomalaiset finally entering the single-digit league
The misfortunes of the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* have been a source of concern from some and happiness for others. After the 2011 general election, when the PS won 39 seats versus five previously, some of us have had to put up with the party’s racism and Finland’s inability and normalization of anti-immigration populism. The dire situation…
The PS’ new board spells trouble for the party but good news for those who oppose far-right anti-immigration populism
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…
Finland voted Wednesday to exend the pushback law till end-2026
UPDATE 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…
How will the far-right PS exploit migrant crime in the general election of 2027?
With the next general election on 18 April 2027, some eyes are pointing towards the Perussuomalaiset (PS)*, which suffered a catastrophic municipal and county election. If such misfortunes aren’t enough, recent opinion polls have put the far-right party in fourth place behind the Center Party. The PS’ fall is significant. The last time the party was at…
White privilege under threat
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…
A promising result about the Perussuomalaiset
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…
It’s the elephant in the room, stupid!
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….
The politicization of “street gangs” has eaten away at the police’s credibility
The recent resignation of former Chief Nnspector Jari Taponen and others from the police reveals the extent to which populist politics has infiltrated the police. In 2023, and with funding from the European Network Against Racism (ENAR), the EU’s largest anti-racism NGO, we published a report showing how parties like the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* use migrant…
When racism becomes normal in Finland
The normalization of racism and government policy that reinforces the social illness are the sad examples that will get worse as long as National Coalition Party Prime Minister Petter Orpo leads the government with the Perussuomalaiset (PS).* One way of putting some breaks on the adverse climate of polarization and xenophobia is by forcing the…