Search Results for: opinion poll

The far-right Perussuomalaiset head south in the opinion polls

THE STORY WAS UPDATED There’s good news and bad news. Depending on your perspective, bad news can be good news and vice-versa. In the latest opinion poll published by Yle, the far-right Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party saw its support nosedive by three percentage points to 15%. While it would be simplistic only to blame the regional

Finance Minister Katri Kulmuni’s grotesque Internet poll is a symptom of a wider social problem in Finland

The Center Party of Finland is a liability to the future of Prime Minister Sanna Marin’s government. We already saw how they forced former Prime Minister Antti Rinne to resign. And then, we witnessed Finance Minister Katri Kulmuni’s Instagram poll. Kulmuni’s post not only exposed her total disregard for human lives and the country’s international

YLE poll: Support for the PS of Finland nosedives to 8.5%

A poll published by YLE News Wednesday shows and reinforces how support for the anti-immigration populist Perussuomalaiset (PS)* continues to nosedive. Compared with the 17% they got in the April 2015 parliamentary election, support has plummeted to a new low of 8.5%.

YLE poll: Support for PS of Finland takes another dip to 9.8%

A poll commissioned by the Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE) revealed more pain for the nationalist populist Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party, which saw its support plummet below 10% to 9.8%. The party that gained the most in the poll were the Social Democrats, which saw their support rise by 2.4 percentage points to 20.7%.

YLE poll: PS sees its support nosedive to 10.7%

The latest poll published by YLE shows that support for the populist anti-immigration Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party has plummeted, diving in one month by 4.3 percentage points to 10.7% and since the April parliamentary elections by as much as 7 percentage points.

CORRECTED: Poll: 15% of white Finns see blacks as “inferior”

A poll commissioned by newsmagazine Suomen Kuvalehti shows that 15%* of those Finns polled believed that blacks don’t have the same abilities as white Europeans. Moreover, about the same amount (13%) who were polled believed that white Europeans should not mix with non-white Europeans due to a fear that the former group is in danger of becoming extinct.

Helsingin Sanomat poll shows the PS heading south

A poll published today by Helsingin Sanomat reveals that the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party is at its lowest point (15.9%) in two years. The most popular party in Finland continues to be the National Coalition Party (22.1%) followed by the Center Party (19.9%). The Social Democrats, which are still struggling, are in the mid-teens (14.9%) with

Should immigrants in Finland commission a poll?

It seems bit tragic-comic that we have had two important polls published in Helsingin Sanomat on Finnish attitudes of immigrants. The latest one published by Finland’s leading daily was commissioned by anti-immigrant website Hommaforum. Both of these surveys show during a deep recession Finns don’t want more immigrants, refugees and tighter controls.

MTV3 poll shows Finns do not want more refugees in their municipality

A poll published by MTV3 on December 12 showed that the majority of Finns do not want their municipality to accept refugees. Even though 34% had no opinion on the matter, 46% said they were either against or very much against their municipality accepting refugees. Only 20% were either in favor or very much in favor of accepting refugees.

Facebook Léo Custódio: Racist party in Finland and the world’s happiest country

Migrant Tales insight: Remember when Finland was named the happiest country in the world by the UN? I am certain that factors like income, healthy life expectancy, social support, freedom, trust and generosity may contribute to people’s well-being. Even so, Léo Custódio, a researcher, asks an important question in light of the latest opinion polls: A party that openly victimizes and which socially excludes migrants from being equal members of society is today the third-biggest in the “world’s happiest country.” 

Is the far right a threat to Finland?

An opinion poll of the presidential candidates by MTV3 revealed that Perussuomalaiset (PS) party hopeful Timo Soini, Sauli Niinistö of Kokoomus and Christian Democrat candidate Sari Essayah did not consider the far right to be a threat to Finland.

An election pact with the devil

Sometimes, the hunger for power is so voracious that politicians and their parties will make pacts with the devil. It was the case in September in Sweden when the conservative Moderate Party joined forces with the Sweden Democrats, a party with neo-Nazi roots. Finland will hold its election on April 2, and there is the

The PS’ extremism is poison for its election prospects

Living inside an Islamophobic bubble is like pissing in your pants during a freezing day. At first, it may offer relief, but then reality sets in. The PS’ tar-and-feather campaign against migrants and minorities is hitting new lows. Since the rise of the PS in the major leagues of Finnish politics after 2011, the present

Kokoomus proves it again: racism coupled with nationalism is a good fix before a parliamentary election

Perussouomalaiset (PS)* head Riikka Purra wasn’t the only one overjoyed by the latest Helsingin Sanomat opinion poll, which showed the radical-right party overtaking the Social Democrats to second place after the National Coalition Party (Kokoomus). Behind Purra was Kokoomus chief Petteri Orpo, gleeing.  Finns will go to the polls on April 4 to elect 200 MPs. While observers

The Perussuomalaiset and Republicans: Two political clown shows in one

The Republicans exposed the clown show in choosing, after six failed attempts, the speaker of the house. It is a mirror image of the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* parliamentary group. All there is personal political greed, simplistic 1+1=2 (non)solutions, and utter incompetence. Today, Yle published its latest monthly opinion poll, which showed the PS overtaking the Social

Police open new investigation of National Coalition Party MP Wille Rydman

After an initial police investigation into alleged sexual harassment by National Coalition Party (Kokoomus) MP Wille Rydman, the National Bureau of Investigation (Keskusrikospoliisi) announced that it had opened a preliminary investigation into the MP’s activities. Rydman is a staunch anti-Muslim who is unofficially Kokoomus’ Jussi Halla-aho. Halla-aho is the former chairperson of the far-right Perussuomalaiset

What’s all the commotion about Wille Rydman? Why is Kokoomus now shocked?

A big question remains after a Helsingin Sanomat investigative journalism piece exposed how National Coalition Party (Kokoomus) MP Wille Rydman treated women – even underaged ones – inappropriately. Some of these women, who were minors then, claimed that Rydman forced them to drink alcohol.  A question remains: Why does Kokoomus appear so shocked today, even after the

The PS’ crystal ball racism based on selective scenarios

With the parliamentary election about 10 months away in April 2023 and a disastrous county election showing and equally depressing opinion poll results, it’s clear that the far-right Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party is desperately trying to connect with voters. One example of these underhanded tactics is a proposal by the PS to close the border with

Twitter (@johanneskoski): The Perussuomalaiset are racist – what of it?

With parliamentary elections approaching in April 2022 in a backdrop of depressing opinion polls, the Perussuomalaiset (PS) party is ratcheting its usual attacks against migrants and minorities. The strategy is like a motto used by the Green Berets in the Vietnam War: “Kill ’em all, let God sort them.” The violent saying was used in

A racist explanation by the chair of parliament’s foreign affairs committee of Finland why Ukrainian refugees are better than other ones

Despite all the objections to racism and Islamophobia in Finland, the silence and sub-rosa nods why such social ills continue to take root in the country. The chair of parliament’s foreign affairs committee, Jussi Halla-aho of the far-right Perussuomalaiset (PS)*, explained why Europe should open its arms to Ukrainians and shut the door on refugees

Other casualties of Ukraine are European far-right parties like the Perussuomalaiset of Finland

Since the invasion of Ukraine by Vladimir Putin’s Russia, we are seeing the restructuring of Europe’s security structure and political landscape. The new landscape is bad news for Europe’s far-right and populist parties like Finland’s Perussuomalaiset (PS)*.  The new situation may explain why PS chairperson, Riikka Purra, offered a new image with new glasses that

The far-right PS 1984 logic: “War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.”

Riikka Purra, the chairperson of the far-right Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party, defended Jussi Halla-aho’s blog writings that are full of racism, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, and anti-democratic worldviews. In one of Halla-aho’s writings, he hopes foreigners rape MPs like Eva Biaudet and Tarja Filatov. The former PS chairperson’s blog writings were under scrutiny again after he was named

A-Talk exposed further what a poor leader Riikka Purra is and how little respect she has for other politicians

Did any of you watch A-Talk with two government representatives, Iris Suomela of the Green League, Center Party Finance Minister Annika Saarikko, and two opposition representatives, Perussuomalaiset (PS)* head Riikka Purra, and National Coalition Party MP Antti Häkkänen? One matter stood out: Purra’s aggressive style and talking out of turn when Suomela spoke. Her facial

European Islamophobia Report: Finland

The European Islamophobia Report 2020 was published on December 29. Below is the Finland chapter of the report. The editors for the report are Dr. Enes Bayrakli and Dr. Farid Hafez. While the government of Prime Minister Sanna Marin has tried to roll back some of the draconian immigration law measures of the previous government,

A trail of xenophobic and far-right violence in Finland and yet no suspects

The detention of five far-right terrorist suspects in the western Finnish city of Kankaanpää Friday raises many questions. One of these is the collaboration of this group and others in the burning down of an asylum reception center in December 2015. The asylum reception center in Kankaanpää wasn’t the only one that suffered arson attacks.

Riikka Purra is the new leader of xenophobic copycats and plagiarizers

The newly elected chairperson of the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party, Riikka Purra, did not waste any time attacking migrants. Apart from tightening naturalization laws and family reunification, she stated that the PS will not become a member of a new government that doesn’t “significantly” tighten immigration laws.  The timing of her hostile and anti-social statements could not have been worse.

Let’s continue to expose Jussi Halla-aho’s and the PS’ big lie

Just like former US President Donald Trump continues to spread the big lie about election fraud, so do Perussuomalaiset (PS)* chairperson Jussi Halla-aho and his party about the threat of immigration and cultural diversity. Last month’s municipal elections were a disappointment for the party after it had invested resources generously in its copied “Take Finland

The PS exposed its far-right credentials. After they get rid of the Muslims, are unions the next in line?

Jussi Halla-aho, the chairperson of the Islamophobic Perussuomalaiset (PS)*, exposed another spoonful of its ever-visible far-right credentials on Saturday by demanding a 3,000-euro a month salary minimum for migrants to get a residence permit and weakening workers’ rights. The PS leader, who was convicted in 2012 for ethnic agitation and breaching the sanctity of religion,

Kokoomus and the PS are ready to go to bed after the municipal election

The Perussuomalaiset (PS)* is a far-right and racist party that will fail in the end because its core values are based on malarkey. Parties like the National Coalition Party (Kokoomus) that want to form bedroom alliances with the PS will fail as well. The chairperson of the National Coalition Party (Kokoomus), Petter Orpo, is well-known

A guide against the ethnic replacement conspiracy theory promoted by the PS

The Finnish Security and Intelligence Service (Supo) 2020 report laid bear how ethnic replacement claims are the usual mix of far-right conspiracy theories and the smoking gun of terrorism from this fringe group. Should we be surprised that the far-right Perussuomalaiset (PS)*, which leads in opinion polls, is spreading this malarkey? If we look at

Bring in the labor immigrants and climbing out of the xenophobic pit

Center Party chairperson and minister for culture, Annika Saarikko, is the type of leadership Finland needs today unless it wants to climb out of its deep xenophobic pit spearheaded by the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party. Considering that her party is being targeted by the PS, which bases its support on spreading suspicion and anti-immigration sentiment, Saarikko’s

Populism and lack of leadership under Petteri Orpo fuel Kokoomus’ tailspin

The National Coalition Party (Kokoomus) received a political bomb that exposed the party’s internal strife between its liberal and populist-conservative wing. Kokoomus’ candidate for Helsinki mayor, Kirsi Piha, and Helsinki city councilor Hanna Gullichsen, both party’s liberal wing, announced they would step aside. Piha stated in a blog posting her decision to pull out from

Kokoomus’ and Finland’s downward spiral

The last opinion poll published by Helsingin Sanomat doesn’t show us any big surprises. A few percentage-point fractions up or down and, end of story. If, however, we take a longer view, the situation of the National Coalition Party (Kokoomus) raises some questions. Just like Jutta Urpilainen and the Social Democrats learned before the 2011

Mayday, Mayday! Two women and six children entering Finland

Following on and off news about the repatriation of Finnish citizens from the al-Hol refugee camp raises a lot of questions about our society. The opposition, namely the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* and National Coalition Party (NCP), are working overtime to score brownie points with the voters and fearmongering. The commotion is now stirred by the repatriation

Radical-right populism is Finland’s kiss of death

Watching the assault on democratic institutions in the United States, Hungary, Poland, and other countries, one wonders what Finnish voters see in its own Trump- and Orbán-spirited Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party. In Yle’s latest opinion poll published Thursday, the PS took first place by a hair from the Social Democrats (SDP), leading since May. So what

Keep on sticking your foot in your mouth Jussi Halla-aho

Perussuomalaiset (PS) chairperson Jussi Halla-aho is on a roll: Heading south in opinion polls, he now wants Finland to ditch the euro “immediately.” That follows another demand: exit international refugee agreements so that no Muslims can seek asylum in Finland. If Halla-aho, who is considered Finland’s number one racist politician, has his way, it will

PS MP Purra is as phony as the fake news she maliciously spreads

Populists like Perussuomalaiset MP Riikka Purra are desperate for attention in the face of the coronavirus pandemic because fewer are interested in their Islamophobia broken record. MP Purra, who is also the PS’ first vice president, pulled a fast one on Yle’s A-talk by stating that she has doubts about Finland’s health infrastructure. “I have

What the SAS Airline ad forgot to mention: Racism was also copied

Recently SAS Airline made a video about how everything Scandinavian is copied culturally. What the video forgot to tell us is that even if it copies everything, it is selective about what it copies. Remember the story about a Muslim Swede called Aye Alhassani, who was told flat out that she would have to take

Finland: The high democratic and social price of being too alike

When the media turns a blind eye to racism, prejudice, and social exclusion, when politicians suck up to those very policies that reinforce such social ills, it is time to take a long look in the mirror. What would we see? A country still in the trenches of World War 2 (not the Continuation War),

The “migrant problem” shouted in Finland by the PS is a panacea to all of our problems

Every voice raised against racism chips away at its power. Reino Eddo-Lodge Watching last Thursday’s parliamentary question time was a repulsive experience. If the opposition Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party is to be believed, all of Finland’s problems hinge on migrants. An article in Verkkouutiset claims that since Prime Minister Antti Rinne’s government began its mandate on

NCP’s Petteri Orpo and his infamous xenophobic and anti-immigration statements

Economy Minister Petteri Orpo, who is also the chairperson of the National Coalition Party (NCP), was and is instrumental for having tightened Finland’s immigration policy when he was the interior minister (2015-2016). As a minister in Prime Minister Juha Sipilä, he was instrumental in undermining the rights of asylum seekers and migrant community. 

WARNING: RACIST CONTENT – Halla-aho announces that anti-immigration will be the PS’ main campaign theme

With parliamentary elections a heartbeat away on April 14, the populist far-right Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party announced that anti-immigration will be their main campaign theme. Are we surprised? Not in the bit.  PS Chairperson Jussi Halla-aho was quoted as saying in Yle that at the present rate, Finland’s immigration policy will destroy present levels of social welfare, undermine

A note to asylum seekers coming here: Welcome to Finland!

Dear prospective Asylum Seeker, We want to welcome you to Finland! The Finnish foreign ministry and the government have launched a controversial social media campaign to deter refugees. The aim of the campaign is to tighten conditions for refugees in order to stem the influx of people seeking asylum in Finland. The reason is simple:

The rise and fall of the Perussuomalaiset of Finland

As support for the Perussuomalaiset (PS)[1] wanes with parliamentary elections only a heartbeat away on April 19, we are seeing a very different party  from four years ago. Back then, PS chairman Timo Soini was self-confident and campaigning confidently. He was the darling of the media, the new kid on the block, the underdog, the only

Populist parties of Finland are a direct threat to our prosperity

A recent poll commissioned by Helsingin Sanomat reveals an important trend: How the National Coalition Party and the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* are in a semi-tailspin mode. The Center Party continues to strengthen its position as the most popular party among voters with the Social Democrats slowly but surely overpassing the National Coalition Party.  Certainly this is an

Institute of Race Relations: UKIP – legitimised by the media?

MT insight: UKIP’s Nigel Farage and Perussuomalaiset party’s Timo Soini are close ideological allies. The only difference between these two politicians in the cultural and national context. If Farage lived in Finland he’d speak like Soini and vice versa. Thus to understand the PS you would have to understand the UKIP.  _________________ John Grayson examines

An opportunist called PS MP Jussi Halla-aho of Finland

If there’s one politician who has successfully made a career by spreading racism and victimizing a group like Somalis in Finland, that politician is Perussuomalaiset (PS) MP Jussi Halla-aho, who is running for MEP. Apart from playing on people’s fears about migration and cultural diversity, the PS MP is a very unthankful person.  Read full

We can do it and send Halla-aho and the PS to where they came from

I still remember April 2011, when the anti-EU, anti-immigration and especially anti-Islam Perussuomalaiset (PS) party opened a gloomy chapter in Finland’s history by getting 39 MPs elected to parliament. The election was impressive to say the least considering that only 5 PS MPs got elected in 2007. Source: www.youthventure.org While some were surprised by the election

Are Finns conservatives by nature?

Perussuomalaiset (PS) chairman Timo Soini was interviewed on YLE Saturday morning. Commenting on a recent opinion poll commissioned by YLE, Soini claimed that the good showing of the PS and Center Party proved that Finns are by nature conservatives.  The YLE poll, which was published Friday, showed big gains by the opposition Center Party (23.8%)

When Timo Soini and the PS cross the political point of no return

When do you know when Timo Soini and the Perussuomalaiset (PS) have crossed the line and passed a political point of no return? The 50,000-euro ad on the front page of Helsingin Sanomat, Finland’s largest-circulation daily,  blasting the government’s euro bailout policy is one of many examples. While more voters are turning their backs to the

Racism Review: Sweden – No Longer the Exception to Western Racist Rule

Authored by Tobias Hübinette and L. Janelle Dance Since May 20, 2013, mass vandalism, material damage and outbursts of rioting in the poor and non-white suburbs of Greater Stockholm have dominated Swedish and international news media. This civil unrest was sparked when, on May 12, the police shot and killed a 69-year-old man from Husby, one of

Halla-aho gets convicted for defamation and inciting ethnic hatred

Perussuomalaiset (PS) party MP Jussi Halla-aho was convicted today by the Finnish Supreme Court  (KKO) for defaming a religion and inciting ethnic hatred. Halla-aho, who was fined in 2009 for defaming religion, was now criminally charged as well for inciting ethnic hatred.  The sentence dates back to Halla-aho’s blog writings of 2008, when he claimed

Halla-aho says ghettoization spreading in Finland’s major cities

Perussuomalaiset (PS) MP Jussi Halla-aho said on a popular talk show that he stands by everything he said and doesn’t regret anything. He does, however, admit that sometimes the timing of what he said was wrong. He then tells us that ghettoization is taking place ” full steam ahead” in Finland’s biggest cities.

Let’s stop fooling ourselves about the Romany minority in Finland and Europe

I’ve been following with disappointment the stories published in the Finnish media about the East European Romany minority beggars coming to Finland. If politicians don’t get it, it’s pretty clear that a part of the media never mind the public won’t either. Social ills like xenophobia, prejudice and racism are not “fixed” in a few days, months or years but take generations for the wounds to heal.

Finland & Cultural Diversity 2011

In many respects 2011 was a watershed year for Finland and Europe concerning the rise of anti-immigration parties and xenophobia. The biggest news to hit Finland this year was without a doubt the April 17 election, which saw the anti-immigration Perussuomalaiset (PS) party win 39 seats compared with only 5 in 2007. On July 22 Anders Breivik gunned down most of his 77 victims in Norway.

Living in post 22/7 for Finland’s PS: Better late than never?

It is clear that matters are no longer the same for the Perussuomalaiset (PS) party after the horrific events that shook Norway and the world on July 22. Migrant Tales predicted a couple of days after the mass killings that they would cast a critical light on far right and right-wing populist parties like the PS, which have been riding the crest of the popularity wave thanks to their anti-immigrant and anti-Islam rhetoric.

EDITORIAL: Finnish immigration debate

Is the present one-sided and passionate debate on immigration in Finland going to turn ugly? Minister for Foreign Affairs Alexander Stubb poured some needed cold water on the debate by stating that it “reeks of racism, nationalism, populism, and xenophobia.”

Riikka Purra: I am a racist and proud of it!

After the leaders of the Social Democrats, Greens, and Left Alliance announced that they would not form part of a future government with the radical-right Perussuomalaiset (PS),* Riikka Purra has lashed out against her party’s critics. The latest racist taking points of the PS is excluding foreigners from getting social welfare and creating a modern

Trump, Putin and the Perussuomalaiset

Former President Donald Trump is a threat to USAmerican democracy, and Russian President Vladimir Putin a threat to world peace. While these leaders spread their toxicity and hatred on other people and nations for political gain, our Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party has nothing more than praise for them. Well, that was before Trump and Putin became

Unpublished Finland Bridge column: Hold the Fort (Until Sanity Returns)

Migrant Tales insight: After publishing a regular column for Finland Bridge of Finland Society (Suomi-Seura), the column below written in 2015 was the last one. Apparently, the content of the column was too much for the editor of the magazine, who scolded me for being too critical of the Perussuomalaiset (Finns Party). I had to

Shame on the Finnish media for stereotyping Muslim women. It’s called biased and racist journalism.

Why are Muslims, especially women, usually pictured covering their faces? Do these types of images in the media reinforce our stereotypes about Muslim women? Helsingin Sanomat, Finland’s leading daily, is one representative of the media that reinforces stereotypes about Muslim women. While the article is important because it talks about forced marriages, why can’t it

Social Democracy for who?

Finland might be the least welcoming place for people of color Before writing this piece, I want to acknowledge my personal privileges that allow me to write such a critical essay. I am an Iranian-born artist holding a United States passport who is residing in Finland based on an international student residency. By no means,

DPP, Golden Dawn, FPÖ…chalk up another loss for the far right in Europe

THIS STORY WAS UPDATED The snap elections in Austria saw the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) suffer a blistering defeat with the number of MPs plummeting by 37.3% to 32 from 51. Sebastian Kurz of the conservative Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) was the biggest winner getting 38.4% of the popular vote and gaining 11 MPs to

A Migrant Tales guide to biased and racist journalism in Finland

After over twenty years working as a journalist and foreign correspondent in countries like Finland, Spain, Italy, Argentina, and Colombia, it becomes routine to spot fishy stories that are fake. Fake news can encompass a lot of things. One area where it appears a lot is in stories about asylum seekers, migrants, especially people of

Finland should put aside its racism, prejudices, hypocrisy and challenge seriously social ills like pedophilia and sexaual abuse

The lifesaver that was supposed to propel the Perussuomalaiset* (PS) to new heights in the polls, suffered another setback Wednesday when the National Bureau of Investigations arrested five white Finnish suspects implicated in violent child sexual abuse. The other blows that stole their Islamophobic thunder were the senior care and the Christchurch atrocity. 

Timo Soini to retire from politics

Foreign Minister Timo Soini, 56, who inspired Islamophobes, racists and conservative nationalists to have a political voice and platform to lash out at migrants and minorities, announced that he will not seek a new term in parliament, according to Helsingin Sanomat. Soini, who calls himself a devout Catholic, will be remembered as a conservative populist politician who led the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* to national prominence by capitalizing on populist anti-immigration sentiment. 

(Migrant Tales 12.2.2017): Dear Sweden, don’t play ball with the Sweden Democrats – Finland is the best example of the disaster that awaits you

Dear Sweden,  In all of the Nordic region, we have seen far-right populist parties rise in this century with a hostile even vicious anti-immigration and anti-cultural diversity agenda. Of all the Nordic countries, you are the only one in the Nordic region where populist anti-immigration parties have not formed directly or indirectly a part of government. 

Blue Reform MP Simon Elo: Let’s make discrimination official in Finland

Even if the Blue Reform*, which is an offshoot of the Islamophobic Perussuomalaiset (PS), wants to change the constitution so that non-Finnish citizens would get paid less social welfare than Finnish citizens, the suggestion by MP Simon Elo exposes to the tee the racism of his party and hatred of migrants.  Blue Reform, like the

Please wake me up after the Finnish presidential elections are over

Finland’s presidential elections were uneventful. President Sauli Niinistö, the incumbent, comfortably won with 62.7% of the votes. He was followed By Green Party candidate Pekka Haavisto (12.4%), Laura Huhtasaari of the Perussuomalaiset Party (6.9%), Kansalaipuolue’s Paavo Väyrynen (6.2%), Center Party’s Matti Vanhanen (4.1%), Social Democrat Tuula Haatainen (3.3%), Merja Kyllönen (3.0%) and Nils Torvalds of

Just call them the New Perussuomalaiset and Old Perussuomalaiset

As politicians like MP Simon Elo try to assure us of their questionable political credentials after he and nineteen others ditched the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party on June 13,  the new party’s name, which has changed three times in less than two months, is nothing more than a snow job. 

How the Finnish government, institutions and President Sauli Niinistö pander to anti-immigration sentiment and groups

Just the way Prime Minister Juha Sipilä’s government can give a tacit pat on the back to far-right groups like Suomi Ensin (Finland First), the police give the green light to extremist vigilante groups, or President Sauli Niinistö give the thumbs up to the Finnish version of the Okie from Muskogee, all of them if they wanted could land a big blow to such racist groups by stating that they are unacceptable and out of touch with our Nordic values.

Finland’s blind spot of bigotry and white privilege is the Perussuomalaiset

If there is one party that has brought out bigotry, racism and populist far-right ideology as of late it is the Perussuomalaiset (PS)*. But Finland is so much in denial about its bigotry and white privilege that it sees no harm in the PS. This means that the government will do little, except offer lip service on how to challenge social ills like racism.

How the Perussuomalaiset party permit racism to see another day in Finland

As almost everyone knows in this country, Finland will hold municipal elections on April 9. The right-wing populist Perussuomalaiset (PS)* are in shock for a number of reasons: their chairman, Timo Soini, who has run the party for 20 years is stepping down in June, and recent polls suggest that they will suffer a stinging defeat in the municipal elections.

(Migrant Tales 12.2.2017) Dear Sweden, don’t play ball with the Sweden Democrats – Finland is the best example of the disaster that awaits you

Dear Sweden,

In all of the Nordic region we have seen far-right populist parties rise in this century with a hostile even vicious anti-immigration and anti-cultural diversity agenda. Of all the Nordic countries, you are the only one in the Nordic region where populist anti-immigration parties have not formed directly or indirectly a part of government.

President Niinstö and Prime Minister Juha Sipilä believe that dual nationals pose threat to Finland’s national security

The debate on dual citizenship in Finland became headline news again on Thursday when President Sauli Niinistö was quoted as saying on YLE News that dual nationals could pose a security threat to the country. On Friday, YLE published a poll where 66% of the respondents agreed that dual nationals shouldn’t be hired to work for the defense forces and foreign ministry.

Will Halla-aho be the PS’ savior or the party’s political grave?

A while back I asked a friend what would happen if the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* implode as we’ve seen in the polls. What will emerge from the ruin of that xenophobic party will be another one that is more sinister and more dangerous. With PS MEP Jussi Halla-aho’s decision to challenge Timo Soini and run for chairman of the party is the birth of a radical anti-immigration party in the same league as the Islamophobic Danish People’s Party.

Marianne Kiukkunen is no “Amazon” but a sad example of how low the police service has lowered the bar

Finland’s fascination with hardline nationalists and bigots continues unabated. Police official Marianne Kiukkunen was interviewed on the Enbuske, Veitola and Salminen (EVS-ohjelma) talk show and introduced by the host as an “Amazon” superwoman, the very embodiment of white privilege. Her appearance on the show and her comments are examples of how low the police has lowered the bar.

The PS of Finland has lost credibility and should be ejected from government

Here’s the question: What is the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party still doing in government and what credibility does it have after its popularity in the polls continues to plummet? The latest poll published shows the PS with only 7.6%, according to YLE News. That compares with 17.7% of the votes it got in the 2015 parliamentary elections.

(Racism Review) Our post-truth culture: institutional and individual consequences

This presidential election has become the perfect storm of “post-truth” politics and racism. It is reflected by the fact that an unqualified “know-nothing” like Trump could be nominated as the Republican presidential candidate. Trump’s disregard for ethics, extreme egoism, and racist solutions to complex policy problems, which include banning all Muslims, building a wall between the U.S. and Mexico, and bombing our enemies into the stone age, will have institutional and individual consequences if he is elected as the next president.

Perussuomalaiset MP Leena Meri: Hiding coded bigotted statements as jokes

One matter is what happened on Friday to singer Musta Barbaari’s mother and sister when they were stopped by plainclothes police Friday, the other is a bigotted comment by an anti-immigration politician and former police officer concerning the alleged ethnic profiling case. The MP, who is a member of the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party, Leena Meri, said that if the singer doesn’t like living in Finland he’s welcome to go back to where he came from.

Police study on immigration paints a threatening and bleak picture of Finland’s ever-growing culturally diverse society

Weird things happen when an anti-immigration party like the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* get power and partner with two other mainstream parties, the Center Party and National Coalition Party (NCP), which have done too little to tackle racism and discrimination in Finland. One of the many things that can happen is a study, “Immigration, Security and Foresight,” published with the blessings of the council of state.

Scaremongering by the PS of Finland is always at full swing

Finland’s Perussuomalaiset (PS)* defense minister, Jussi Niinistö, believes that up to one million “illegal” immigrants could come to Finland, according to YLE News. Niinistö, a historian who has played down the role of fascist associations like the Lapua Movement (1929-32), fear-mongers to shore up support for his ailing party.

The “Denmarkization” of Finnish immigration policy

The Perussuomalaiset (PS) are eager to pass legislation that will not only hurt asylum seekers but all migrants and minorities that live in Finland. After breaking almost all of their campaign promises and after their poll rating have plummeted to single-digit percentages, the PS only have one trump card left in their political bag of tricks: anti-immigration rhetoric and policy.

A Finnish government that bolsters anti-immigration populism and nationalism

It’s sad to watch how the present government of Prime Minister Juha Sipilä is not only destroying our welfare state but bringing out the worst form of anti-immigration fear and political cowardice. When asked on YLE’s Ykkösaamu talk show about the attacks against asylum reception centers, the only thing Interior Minister Petteri Orpo had to say was that he was “saddened” by such illegal attacks and that the 80-point plan to tighten immigration policy would help calm matters down.

Migrants’ Rights Network: Frontier anxiety: Living with the stress of the everyday border

What happens when we bring the anxieties of life at the border into the heart of our all our communities? How can we contend with life in a space where identity is constantly checked and people subjected to the question: Why are you really here? MRN director Don Flynn asks this in an article published this month in Soundings, a journal of cultural politics and simultaneously on the website of Eurozine. The full article can be accessed here.

PS act one: Demonizing refugees in Finland

One of the questions Migrant Tales asked after we saw that support for the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* plummet in YLE’s latest poll is that this is bad news for migrants and minorities in Finland because the populist party step up its anti-immigration rhetoric and measures.

UPDATE (August 28): Migrant Tales’ 2015 Hall of Poor and Sloppy Journalism

Migrant Tales’ 2015 Hall of Poor and Sloppy Journalism will be updated separately. To see other examples of opinionated journalism in Finland about cultural diversity, please go to this link. August 28 Joka seitsemäs suomalainen on rasisti – tässä tuntomerkit (Suomen Kuvalehti) What’s wrong with this story? Here’s a question to Suomen Kuvalehti: Why when speaking of immigration,

Finland’s Rosa Parks moment and crossing the line

For those of us who have been anti-racism activists for many years, Tuesday, July 28, offered us something we hadn’t seen before in Finland: A spontaneous 15,000-20.000-strong demonstration against racism and fascism in Helsinki. Was that very important demonstration a Rosa Parks moment and an important watershed to make Finland a more inclusive country?

July 28, 2015: Finland’s Rosa Parks moment

On December 1, 1955 the late Rosa Parks refused to give her seat to a white passenger on a public bus in Montgomery, Alabama. That historically important incident was for many the spark that ignited the Civil Rights Movement in the United States.

UPDATE 2 (Apr. 22): Migrant Tales’ 2015 Hall of Poor and Sloppy Journalism

Migrant Tales’ 2015 Hall of Poor and Sloppy Journalism will be updated separately. To see other examples of opinionated journalism in Finland about cultural diversity, please go to this link. Apr. 22 YLE poll: Majority of Finns oppose work-based immigration (YLE) What’s wrong with this story? In 2010 Migrant Tales asked when these type of what-Finns-think-off-immigrant polls would

On Sunday we vote in Finland – future generations will be watching closely the result

Finland will hold parliamentary elections on Sunday. According to the latest polls, the Center Party is well ahead with the National Coalition Party (NCP) and Perussuomalaiset (PS)* trailing in second and third place, respectively. The Social Democrats are in fourth place.  Migrant Tales has tirelessly reported on the ongoing anti-immigration debate in Finland daily since 2011.  Since Finland is our

Racism Review: Je Ne Suis Pas Charlie: A Critical View

To be frank, the magazine Charlie Hebdo deserves criticism, not praise—despite the horrific events that have unfolded. While I am certainly not condoning the murder of its staff members, I do find them guilty of Islam-bashing and inconsiderately expressing religious intolerance, cultural ethnocentrism, and extremely poor human judgment, issues that should be important to antiracists

UPDATE (December 5): Migrant Tales’ 2015 Hall of Poor and Sloppy Journalism

How does the Finnish media give politicians that spread xenophobia and racism inflated respectability and importance? How can they  spread their prejudices and lies about immigrants and minorities without the help of the media? Migrant Tales will begin to collect stories from January 7 written by careless journalists that have been taken for a ride by such

Defining white Finnish privilege #15: Case Halla-aho and the PS

It’s clear that the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* are trying to regain their balance as their popularity in the polls continues to plummet. This week MEP Jussi Halla-aho, who was sentenced for ethnic agitation, tells his party that a tougher stand on immigration is needed to regain voter confidence.  “It would be good that the party leadership understands

Finland’s PS see its support plummet to all-time low since 2011

A latest poll commissioned by YLE showed that if elections were held today, the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* would receive only 13.3% of the votes, which is the lowest drop ever after it won the 2011 elections with 19.1% of the vote, writes Yle in English. The PS  saw its support slip by 1% from the previous month.

Same-sex marriage bill vote Friday will be a cliff hanger

Finland will vote Friday on the long-overdue bill that would make marriage legal between same-sex couples. A lot rides on tomorrow’s vote. In many respects, the outcome of Friday’s vote shows Finland to be at an important crossroads. Some analysts see the passage of the same-sex marriage bill not only as a victory for gays but for

Homophobic Finland? Thank the Perussuomalaiset

Some weren’t too worried when the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* won their historic parliamentary election victory in 2011 by raising the number of MPs to 39 from 5. “They’ll implode like the Rural Party did in the 1970s,” and “This is only a passing [political] fad” was what one heard.  One matter is clear after almost four

Systemic disenfranchisement of migrants and minorities in Europe

One important question that doesn’t appear to bother too many politicians is why migrant voter turnout in Europe is so low. In the 2012 municipal elections of Finland, 20% of eligible migrants voted compared with 18.6% in 2008. This is a far cry from 59.5% and 62.2% of Finnish citizens that voted in such elections,

Four in five Swedes express concern over xenophobia

Swedes are more worried about the rise of xenophobia in their country than the ever-growing number of immigrants, according to The Local, citing a study by the SOM Institute of Gothenburg University. The survey revealed that while 49% expressed concern over immigration levels, 78% were worried about the rise of xenophobia.  Read full story here.

Are politicians like Jussi Halla-aho and parties like the PS racist?

Jay Smooth offered in early March some good points on how to spot a racist by sticking to the that-sounded-racist conversation as opposed to they-are-racist conversation. The former conversation allows you to focus on what the person said and why what they said is unacceptable. The other one will take your focus away from the issue.  Keeping

Passage of gay marriage law will benefit all minorities in Finland

The ongoing passionate debate in parliament on same-sex marriage reveals, in my opinion, something we’ve known all along about Finland: How we accept and respect people who are different from us. Alongside the present debate on gay marriage is another one being contested in public about our ever-growing cultural diversity. A draft law to legalize gay

Reija Härkönen: Jussi Halla-aho’s actions in parliament

Reija Härkönen When Jussi Halla-aho was getting prepared for the parliamentary elections, on the last day before the election day on April 16, 2011, he once again urged the anti-immigrant voters to act, thanked his own people (meaning the anti-immigrant circle) for their good work and the True Finns (Perussuomalaiset) of Helsinki and the neighborhood

Does Finland promote two-way or one-way adaption of immigrants?

Our integration law promotes two-way adaption as opposed to assimilation, which is a one-way process. Section 17 of the Finnish Constitution states that each person living in this country has the right to maintain and develop their own language and culture. What do these two important laws mean in practice and how are they applied? Sensible Finns

Institute of Race Relations: The shameful ‘Go Home’ campaign

By John Grayson The rhetoric on migrants shows how politicians and the media have created, and embedded, racism in British politics. Read original blog entry here. Recent controversy over the Home Office ’Go Home’ campaign on ‘illegal’ immigrants highlights the way in which politicians try to outdo each other to win over the ‘racist’ electorate

Why aren’t we outraged enough by intolerance?

Finnish department store J. Kärkkäinen’s Magneettimedia writings are a disturbing sign of how anti-Semitism, like anti-immigration and anti-Islam sentiment, have gained a foothold in Finland. And why shouldn’t it find fertile ground to grow in this country? During the past years, the genie of intolerance has been let out of the bottle and it shows.  We’re

Sweden riots: People cannot live off football, crumbs and destitute pity

In the face of the riots in Huusby, Sweden, which have now spread outside the northern Stockholm suburb, there’s one culprit we should pay close attention to especially here in Finland: The erosion of Sweden’s comprehensive welfare state system.  Faced with a seven-billion-euro budget deficit, it isn’t surprising that few if any politicians in this

Two-way integration still has a long way to go in Finland

What is the aim of Finland’s new integration law, which came into force in September 2011? While the law talks about two-way integration, what does it mean and how is it promoted?    Finland’s integration program is like an old abandoned Cadillac. It awakens our optimism but discourages us from acting because it is too costly to

Finnish anti-immigration party MP claims homosexuality to be a “disability in sexual development”

In light of the municipal elections of October 28 and the Perussuomalaliset (PS) party’s poll standings, it’s no surprise that MPs of the right-wing populist party like James Hirvisaari are leading the charge against different minorities in Finland. In a comment on Hommaforum, the PS MP considered homosexuality to be “a disability in sexual development.”*  Hommaforum

Migrants’ Rights Network: Attitudes to immigration, polarisation or convergence?

By Juan Camilo Research published last month shows that attitudes to immigration in Britain are more polarised than in other countries, with older, poorer, and less educated people tending to have much more negative views than younger, well educated, financially secure and ethnically mixed people. Will a generational shift bring about more positive attitudes to

Zuzeeko's blog: Finland – Shooting of Immigrants in Oulu pizzeria must be condemned

In a country where a Member of Parliament for the Perussuomalaiset (PS) political party can openly use racist and derogatory language (video) against Muslims and people of African decent and is not forced to resign as representative of the people, it is easy to conclude that racism is deep-seated. However, any racially motivated shooting or killing must be unequivocally condemned in the strongest terms by all people of goodwill.

A matter of perspective and the real issue in the Finnish immigration debate

Perspective is one reason why Migrant Tales has grown especially after the April 17 election and become a home for a large and ever-growing number of bloggers. We have, in my opinion, become for some that sincere critical “voice for those whose views and situation are understood poorly and heard faintly by the media, politicians and public.”

Fueling “harmful stereotypes, discrimination and xenophobia” in Finland and elsewhere

The recently published report by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) rightfully warns about how misinformation about migration fuels “harmful stereotypes, discrimination and xenophobia.” A New York Times article states that such perceptions are so distorted that citizens believe that there are three times more immigrants living in some countries than is the case.

HS.fi: Rasistikin suvaitsee itseään

Keskustelu suomalaisten rasismista ja sen heijastumisesta politiikkaan on lukkiintunut toistuvaan kaavaan. Muiden puheenvuoroissa arvioidaan, että rasismi ja muukalaispelko ovat lisänneet perussuomalaisen puolueen kannatusta.

Pohjalainen.fi: Perhe-elämä kuuluu ihmisoikeuksiin

Nykyisessä hallituksessa maahanmuuttokysymykset ovat sisäasianinministerin pöydällä. Kristillisdemokraattien puheenjohtaja Päivi Räsänen on lyhyenä ministerikautenaan antanut muutamia lausuntoja maahanmuuttopolitiikkaan liittyen. Viimeksi hän esitti perheyhdistämisen sääntöjen kiristämistä, vaikka ministeri Astrid Thors korjasi todettuja ongelmia jo edellisellä hallituskaudella.

Finland: To isolate or not to isolate ourselves from the world

If there is a post-Finlandization period in this country it manifests itself today through fear and suspicion of the outside world. As the April election result showed, a large minority of Finns don’t have a problem about returning to the days when Finland was near-isolated geopolitically from the outside world thanks to its special relationship with the former Soviet Union.

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.

Finland flirts with lost opportunities

It is sad to think that a populist party like the True Finns may be set to win a lot of seats in the April 17 election. While everyone has a right to his opinion in Finland, pushing myths and flimsy arguments that incite nationalist sentiment at the cost of immigrants and minorities is simply unacceptable.

Warkauden Lehti: Halpatyömarkkinat uhkaavat

Edellisen hallituksen selkeä linjaus Suomessa ja EU:ssa oli, että maahanmuuton määrällinen ja laadullinen hallinta on välttämätöntä työmarkkinoiden vakauden ja sisäisen turvallisuuden näkökulmasta. On ollut surullista nähdä, että nykyisen hallituksen aikana tämä ei ole ollut enää arvo vaan tietoisesti on rakennettu kaksia työmarkkinoita – halpatyömarkkinoita.

Racism in Finland and elsewhere

Every society has its racists but the question is where we draw the line. For a country like Finland, the problem of drawing a clear line hinges on that there are so few immigrant and ethnic groups that moved to this country from the second half of last century.

Is Finland prepared for multiculturalism?

In an interesting article published by Siirtolaisuus – Migration issue 2/1996, social psychologist Professor J. W. Berry asks what factors have to be in place to establish reasonable harmonious relationships between diverse groups. Ethnocentrism is a theory devised by Sumner in 1906 and means when “one’s group is the center of everything, and all others

March 9 election debate in Spain: Zapatero versus Rajoy

Today concluded the first of two televised debates between Spain’s Socialist (PSOE) José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and opposition Popular Party (PP) head Mariano Rajoy. The first polls that were taken right after the debate show Rodríguez Zapatero beating by an ample margin his PP opponent. Television station Cuatro gave Rordíguez 45.4% versus 33.4% for Rajoy,