It’s pretty clear from an interview that new party secretary of the Perussuomalaiset (PS), Riikka Slunga-Poutsalo, gave to newsmagazine Suomen Kuvalehti that she has shot herself so badly in the foot that she’ll never recover. Not only does her murky far right anti-immigration opinions follow her as a shadow, but affirmations like ”I’m a chauvinist” as well.
Admitting that she is a chauvinist was not a slip of the tongue when she spoke to the media right after she was elected as the PS’ new party secretary. Apart from being strongly anti-immigration and chauvinist, she admits that there are no gray areas on how she see things. “Things are usually simple and I’m generally for or against [something],” she said. “One must have opinions in politics.”
On today’s Helsingin Sanomat, columnist Minna Lindgren writes about Slunga-Poutsalo: “Soini assumes that all of us are deep down inside [Finns are] chauvinists, racists and [see everything] black and white – the issue hinges on on being honest [with oneself].”
She concludes: “I have another picture of the Finn. He isn’t a power-hungry person who runs away from responsibility, not a black-and-white chauvinist or even a racist.”
Chauvinism in a Finnish context is this country’s brand of machoism. When you are a machoist, or chauvinist, you loathe anything that promotes cultural diversity. That is why Finnish machoists, men and women alike, see immigrants, blacks, gays, feminists, Muslims, left-wingers, environmentalists and others as a threat.
It’s no surprise that Slunga-Poutsalo will call few if any major shots in the PS since the anti-immigration and anti-EU party is effectively a one-man show run by its chairman and creator, Timo Soini.
The Suomen Kuvalehti journalist, Katri Merikallio, asks Slunga-Poutsalo if she’s in favor of Finland becoming a multicultural or culturally diverse society.
”If I have to decide, I’m against it,” she said telling us something we already knew.
Her response is typical of that of an anti-immigration party. There is strong opposition to immigration and cultural diversity but no workable solutions that take into account immigrants and other minorities.
Why? The answer is simple: There aren’t any. Holding back cultural diversity is like prohibiting people from being gay.
But don’t let her general opposition to cultural diversity fool you. If she had her way, she’d implement the far right Danish People’s Party (DPP) immigration policy to fuel xenophobia and near-halt migration from outside of the European Union.
As everyone knows, the DPP were successful for about 10 years in spearheading the most restrictive immigration policy in the EU.
Slunga-Poutsalo, like all of the anti-immigration extremists in the PS, are not only a direct threat to immigrants but to Finland.
Their political views are openly hostile to immigrants and minorities and should be openly challenged.
Chauvinism or copy nism huh huh
Copy and paste copy and paste and how long? Its usual in Finland.
National superiority???
Yes i see… if you have no idea from yourself then you are nothing…
Riikka Slunga she has dark hairs and eyes so she herself is not a white too?
And if she changes her hair colour to black and dark…then this colour is mine why she copy my hair colour if she does not like me???
Now who can answer to me?
Now i need A superman/woman
Slunga-Poutsalo may not like herself. Studies show that people with prejudices with low self-esteem are more intolerant.
I honestly dont think she gives a damn about “whiteness”. If you look into these matters, finns werent considered white until some american “researcher” actually travelled to Finland in early 20th century to see if we look asian or european.
Jssk, “whiteness” in Slunga-Poutsalo’s context means Finns who are white.