The election victory by the Perussuomalaiset could be attributed to a number of factors and bears all the signs of the same illness spreading in Europe these days: right-wing populism that is anti-EU, anti-immigration and above all anti-Islam. The PS could have never dreamed of such success in the last election without the help of Kokoomus, Social Democratic Party and Center Party.
Tag: xenophobia
YLE: Halla-aho to Chair Committee in Charge of Immigration
True Finns have nominated candidates for chairing the parliamentary committees they have received leadership over. Jussi Halla-aho, who has sternly criticised immigration in his blog, is to become chairman of the Administration Committee, the responsibilities of which include immigration policies.
True Finns: The first and last act of a tragic-comic play
Even if Finland has changed politically after Sunday’s election, there has been a greater about-turn among some True Finns. One particular group that from the anti-immigration Nuiva manifesto group now attempt to appear like respectable elected MPs conveniently brushing under the rug those terrible things they said about immigrants.
True Finns’ Soini lashes out at the foreign media
While True Finns’ chairman Timo Soini tries to calm Finns and the outside world that “we’re not extremists, so you can sleep safely,” an eerie lull prevails in Finland as talks begin on forming a coaltion government with Kokoomus, Social Democrats and the True Finns. Soini’s most recent outbreak was with the Swedish media, whom he branded on MTV3 as “unbelievable.”
guardian.co.uk: Attack on ‘blasphemous’ art work fires debate on role of religion in France
When New York artist Andres Serrano plunged a plastic crucifix into a glass of his own urine and photographed it in 1987 under the title Piss Christ, he said he was making a statement on the misuse of religion.
Soini’s probable hello-goodbye-thank-you-ma’m kiss to xenophobia
Will we see in the comming weeks a gentle hello-goodype-thank-you-ma’m kiss from True Finns chairman Timo Soini to the xenophobic wing of the party? A total of five people who signed the xenophobic Nuiva manifest last year got elected to parliament. The best-known of these are Jussi Halla-aho and former Finnish State Railways (VR) employee James Hirvisaari.
Finland 2011 election: A perilous watershed
Sunday’s election in Finland was historic for many reasons. For one it ushered in a populist far-right party with xenophobic elements to the Eduskunta (Parliament). In order to comprehend the new political landscape of Finland, we must ask to whom will such a victory be a threat and an opportunity.
BBC: EU bail-out nerves as Finland holds general election
Finns have gone to the polls to elect a new parliament in a vote that may affect future EU bail-outs if a rising nationalist party does well.
Finland election today: What future awaits us and Europe?
Today Finnish voters will head to the polls. What their collective message may be for the direction Finland will take in the following four years remains to be seen. One of the most tragic aspects of the campaigning to April 17 is how some, like the True Finns and individual members of all the parties in this country, have used fear-mongering of immigrants and refugees to further their political careers.
El País: La ultraderecha finlandesa despega en las legislativas
Una nueva amenaza se cierne sobre la eurozona. Esta vez la alarma proviene de Finlandia, donde un partido periférico, de corte populista, nacionalista y euroescéptico irrumpe con fuerza en las elecciones legilsativas del próximo domingo.Se trata de Auténticos Finlandeses, al que las encuestas dan un 18% de intención de voto. Hace apenas cuatro años, en los anteriores comicios parlamentarios, el grupo había logrado un 4% de los votos y cinco de los 200 escaños. Ahora, con una expectativa de 30 escaños, el partido podría tener la llave de un futuro Gobierno de coalición.