A parliamentary committee, which is deciding on the future of the Finnish Broadcast Company (YLE), on important issues like how much state funding it should get and its role. If Perussuomalaiset (PS)* MP Teuvo Hakkarainen had his way, it cut YLE’s budget and thereby downsize the broadcaster’s Swedish-language service.
But that’s not all. Hakkarainen, who is a member of the parliamentary committee and like many politicians of the anti-immigration party, wants white Finnish programs at the cost of those that promote cultural diversity or multiculturalism.
YLE is required in its bylaws to serve Finland’s ever-growing culturally diverse society, but this shouldn’t be a requirement any longer if Hakkarinan has his way.
The PS MP’s opinion is another example of the hostility that migrants, minorities, and our culturally diverse society have to endure in this country. Should we be surprised? Not really considering that Finland is led today by an manti-immigration government. that openly attacks migrants, minorities, and cultural diversity.
Read full story here.
* The Finnish name for the Finns Party is the Perussuomalaiset (PS). The English names of the party adopted by the PS, like True Finns or Finns Party, promote in our opinion nativist nationalism and xenophobia. We, therefore, prefer to use the Finnish name of the party on our postings. The direct translation of “Perussuomalaiset” is “basic” or “fundamental Finn.”