On Sunday, December 14, the Finns Party Council met in Helsinki to identify the country’s main problems, created by the government, in which representatives of this far-right party hold seven ministerial positions. The results of two and a half years of governance by the most right-wing government since 1944 have been disappointing: the economy is deteriorating, the Finnish language is under threat, student immigration policy has failed, and racism is rampant in Finland.
Led The Country’s Economy Into A Swamp
The Finns Party council met in Helsinki on Sunday. In her opening speech, party chairwoman and Minister of Finance Riikka Purra highlighted the difficult economic situation.
According to Purra, the economy has drifted into too deep a quagmire.
“Previous inaction weighs on us. New things are falling on our laps.”
Purra believes that the social welfare reform carried out during the last government term has failed.
“There are too many wellbeing services counties.”
Purra is talking about the same issue as a recent report, according to which the number of wellbeing services counties should be drastically reduced from the current one.
Sharp Turn
The party chairman’s position is surprising in that only yesterday it was reported that the Finns Party was opposed to reducing the number of areas. According to Purra, a reform must be carried out for wellbeing services counties, which will be the task of the next government.
Although there are too many areas, the financing law is the biggest problem, according to Purra.
New Savings Needed
A more extensive overhaul of the financing of wellbeing services counties requires such a long preparation time that it could not be ready until 2029 at the earliest, Purra estimated at a press conference held after the speech.
“New savings of at least ten billion are needed. I hope that no one promises significantly more money for social wellbeing services counties in their election campaign,” Purra says.
Finns’ Party Launches New Campaign For Finnish Language
The Finns’ Party launches a Finnish, thank you campaign, which emphasises the importance of preserving the Finnish language. At the beginning of the party council meeting, a short video was shown in which a customer in a café wishes to receive service in Finnish.
“We want to preserve the Finnish language,” says Purra. According to the chairman, it is important that, for example, immigrants can study Finnish.
At a press conference held after Purra’s speech, the party’s deputy chairman and MP Teemu Keskisarja talks about how too much English is used in Finland. He talks about forced English.
“The mother tongue is not an ancient relic,” Keskisarja says about the Finnish language.
Government Prepares Changes To Student Immigration
The changes made by the previous government to student immigration are also criticised by Finns’ Party chairman Purra.
“Now they are waiting in bread lines.”
Yle’s MOT reported a week ago about how Sanna Marin’s government wanted international students in Finnish universities. Here, students end up in the breadline as poor people.
The government is preparing changes regarding student immigration, Purra says.
“The negotiations are in the final stages. We can still say something about them before Christmas.”
Purra Does Not Comment Further On The Eye-stretching Photos
Over the weekend, the debate around racism flared up when former Miss Finland Sarah Dzafce had to give up her crown because of a racist photo. Several Finns Party politicians shared a similar photo of themselves on social media.
Purra is asked how he comments on the photos of MPs. Purra states that he has nothing new to say on the matter. He previously stated that there is really no point in such a discussion and how we get involved in these.
Source: Yle (in Finnish)