European affairs expert says clearer messages would raise voter turnout in European election

Teija Tiilikainen worried about large number of inexperienced celebrity candidates

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By Hanna Miettinen
     
      Researcher Teija Tiilikainen says that Finland’s political parties should be more open to taking stands on real issues confronting the European Union.
      Tiilikainen feels that before the elections to the European Parliament, candidates should express views on issues that the Parliament will have to wrestle with, rather than focusing on national topics and "reminiscing".
      "The political atmosphere in Finland demands this, and it would also be encouraging for the people", Tiilikainen says.
     
Candidates for the European Parliament should, in Tiilikainen’s view, tell the people straight what they think about issues, such as whether or not Turkey could eventually join the EU. Candidates should also take up arms over whether or not the EU financing should continue to be through membership dues, or if an EU tax should be introduced.
      These are examples of issues that the soon-to-be chosen European Parliament will have to consider.
      Tiilikainen feels that a real debate on the EU would also be a solution to a problem which has been acknowledged many times - that the EU appears too distant to the Finnish people.
      "Before the Parliamentary elections, candidates take stands on issues that Parliament have to decide. People do not study domestic politics out of brochures", Tiilikainen points out.
     
If the parties would have clear and mutually distinct points of view on EU questions, it would be easier for the citizens to form opinions of their own.
      In Finland there has been a tradition of deciding on EU affairs by unanimous decision - as is the case in foreign policy in general. Tiilikainen points out that unanimity often means the same as a lack of options.
      "In some contexts it is good for Finland to be a strong player, and to be of one mind. However, in the European elections unanimity is a bad thing", Tiilikainen explains.
     
Seeking consensus has led to a situation in which discussion on certain political alternatives in public debate has been taboo. One of these issues is the idea of a European federation.
      "The atmosphere for debate in Finland remains immature", Tiilikainen laments.
      She points out that there are groups in the European Parliament who would be ready to turn the EU into a federation immediately - if at all possible.
     
The position of party politics in the European Parliament is growing stronger in Tiilikainen’s view. She thinks that this will gradually be reflected in Finnish EU debate as well. It is difficult to evaluate when real discussion will begin on the issue.
      "Last autumn there were indications of the emergence of politics in EU politics, when discussion emerged over the internal security guarantees of the European Union."
     
Another reason why Tiilikainen feels that candidates in the European Parliament election should discuss EU politics is that doing so would help rid Finns of the belief that the European Parliament elections are somehow of secondary importance.
      The notion that has been left imprinted in the minds of Finns is that the European Parliament is a discussion club focused on the curvature of cucumbers. This is the impression that was created in the late 1980s, when the idea of integration was first discussed in Finland.
      "At that time it was true, what people said, that the European Parliament is not a real parliament, but this is no longer the case", Tiilikainen insists.
      Throughout the 1990s the powers of the European Parliament increased, and the constitutional agreement that is under preparation will further strengthen its position.
      Tiilikainen does not contradict the observation of National Coalition Party candidate Alexander Stubb, who has said that MEPs have more power than Finnish ministers.
      "Power is difficult to measure. Power also depends on how skilful an MEP is in taking his or her place in the European Parliament, on what kinds of positions are attained in committees, and what kinds of relations the MEP establishes", Tiilikainen says.
      However, she adds that it is clear that when the new constitution takes effect, the European Parliament will be a fully-fledged legislative body.
     
Teija Tiilikainen is concerned about one characteristic typical of the present election campaign: the large number of candidates who are drawn from the world of entertainment, and who are quite inexperienced in political matters.
      Celebrity candidates can easily lead to the impression that the elections are nothing but a light diversion.
      "In June a Parliament will be elected that will be at the epicentre of EU decision-making. It will not be an entertainment department", Teija Tiilikainen points out.
     
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 10.5.2004

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HANNA MIETTINEN / Helsingin Sanomat
hanna.miettinen@hs.fi