Tag: municipal election

MTV3 poll shows support for PS to have plummeted to 5%

Posted on by Migrant Tales

If the municipal election of October were held today, only 5% would vote for the right-wing populist Perussuomalaiset (PS) party, according to a poll published Wednesday by MTV3. The latest poll is further proof that support for the PS continues to plummet compared with the impressive gains it made in last year’s election.

In the April 2011 election, the PS won 19.1% (39 seats) of the vote compared with 4.05% (5 seats) in 2007.

The biggest winner in the MTV3 poll is the National Coalition Party (23%) followed by the Social Democrats (21%) and Center Party (20%), which has made an impressive comeback after its disastrous election result in 2011. The Greens and Left Alliance would get 9% apiece.

The MTV3 poll published today shows the National Coalition Party, Social Democrats and Center Party making the biggest gains if the October 28 municipal elections were held today.  

Anti-immigration Hommaforum editor to head PS’ party newspaper

Posted on by Migrant Tales

By Enrique Tessieri

What kind of message does the Perussuomalaiset (PS) give when it names Matias Turkkila as the new editor-in-chief of the party’s newspaper and web page?  It reinforces what Migrant Tales has been saying all along: the PS will step up their nationalistic and anti-immigration campaign up to the do-or-die municipal election in October.

Turkkila, who used to be a member of the far-right Suomen Sisu association, was PS MP Jussi Halla-aho’s campaign manager in the 2011 parliamentary elections. Halla-aho received 15,074 votes in Helsinki, which is the second-highest amount after Left Alliance chairman Paavo Arhimäki, who got 17,226.

The newly appointed editor-in-chief is editor of Hommaforum, an anti-immigration messageboard site where Migrant Tales has been mentioned on numerous occasions. Hommaforum is closely related to Scripta, Halla-aho’s blog.

Critics of the PS politicians who based their campaigns on anti-immigration and especially anti-Muslim rhetoric are naturally not surprised. Green Party Uusi Suomi blogger Pekka Siikala recently described PS Chairman Timo Soini as “Finland’s most immoral person” over this latest appointment and his sustained failure to deliver on a promise to throw racists out of the party.

Some political observers see Turkkila’s appointment as a last-ditch attempt to repair the PS’ image, which has been tarnished by numerous scandals. Whether he succeeds is a totally different question.

But Soini must succeed in the October municipal elections. If his party does as poorly as in the presidential election, it will mean a long and painful march to the 2015 parliamentary election.  The 39 seats won by the party last year are in serious jeopardy.

Turkkila’s appointment as editor-in-chief suggests that he may become the party’s unofficial spokesman after Matti Putkonen has burned all of the its bridges with the Finnish media.

 

There is hope if racism thrives on ignorance and isolation

Posted on by Migrant Tales

By Enrique Tessieri

If racism thrives on ignorance and isolation, then there is hope but a lot has to be done. Instead of lowering oneself to the diatribe and hatred of anti-immigration groups, we must strive to find solutions. People who spread racism are by no means infallible. Racism is like Dracula. Not only does it live on by infecting the person, it cannot stand the light of day. 

Another weakness that racism has is that it is a loner and likes isolation.  That is why it loves attention sometimes because it is a chronic narcissist.

Our blogger, Asian, correctly pointed out that one of the challenges facing visible minorities in Finland is institutional racism. It is another silent culprit acting behind the scenes hindering integration and people from tapping their potential in our society.

Here is a good description of how institutional racism works in our society:  “Institutional racism is that which, covertly or overtly, resides in the policies, procedures, operations and culture of public or private institutions – reinforcing individual prejudices and being reinforced by them in turn.”

The suggestion by a former student that apart from accepting ourselves, we should strive as well to extend our hand of friendship to those that loathe us, is a very effective way of challenging such a social ill.

There is a lot of hatred out there in countries like Finland: the election in April and their sugar-coated arguments that constantly attempt to fool us by hiding the real face of racism by arguing the complete opposite.

Despite the challenges, our aim is not to run to a corner and become like those that want to confine us in prisons where we lose sight of things like purpose. Our aim is to be stronger than hatred.

We must come up with solutions. And there are many good ones out there from many of us. One of these made recently on Facebook was by Abdirahim Husu Hussein, a Center Party member, who is an example to many. He said: “I also think that we need [to strive for] 10% representation in all the municipalities [in the October municipal election].”

In other words, more immigrants and Finns with international backgrounds should seriously consider running for city council. This is crucial, especially during these times when an anti-immigration party has become one of the biggest in Finland.

Joining a political party is one solution out of many.

If we look at ways to get more power and recognition in Finland, it will certainly not happen as long as we remain passive and offer excuses like “Finland isn’t my country.”  Finland is our home. We must therefore show leadership by offering solutions. In simple English it means empowering yourself and taking control.

We will continue to be kicked around as a group as long as we don’t demand our rights and simultaneously extend our hand to those that loathe us.

If we don’t do anything we have nobody else to blame than ourselves.