I have never believed or trusted the Perussuomalaiset (PS),* even if some were willing to give them the benefit of the doubt after their historic win in the 2011 parliamentary elections. Some claimed that it would only be a matter of time when they imploded.
The implosion of the party happened in June 2017, or six years later.
Finland holds parliamentary elections in April 2019. This may mean the near-end of two parties that have only sowed divisions and hatred of migrants and minorities. They may become a taxi or mini-taxi party (all of its MPs can fit in the back seat).
Migrant Tales has always been highly critical of the PS because it is an anomaly in Finnish politics.
Blue Reform, the faction that split from the PS in 2017, is just as bad, if not worse because they are in government.
The former party likes to let racism hang out while the latter coats it with sugar.
Both are disgraceful examples of Finland’s political system.
We have said tirelessly since 2011: The PS, and after 2017 Blue Reform, are chronically xenophobic and Islamophobic parties openly hostile to those who are different from them.
The briefing on the Finnish elections reads: Finland’s Fate — “We are not extremists so you can sleep safely,” says the head the country’s ascendant ‘True Finns’ party (yes, that’s their real name). Of course, not everybody agrees: “Far-right populism is an illness inflicting Europe at present and it now has a beachhead in Finland,” writes Enrique Tessieri. Read the original briefing here.
* The Perussuomalaiset (PS) party imploded on June 13, 2017, into two factions, the PS and New Alternative, which is now called Blue Reform. Despite the name changes, we believe that it is the same party in different clothing. Both factions are hostile to cultural diversity never mind Muslims and other visible minorities. One is more open about it while the other says it in a different way. .
A direct translation of Perussuomalaiset in English would be something like “basic” or “fundamental Finn.” Official translations of the Finnish name of the party, such as Finns Party or True Finns, promote in our opinion nativist nationalism and racism. We, therefore, at Migrant Tales prefer to use in our postings the Finnish name of the party once and after that the acronym PS.