Great ideological disparity among True Finns in Helsinki region
Party got 17 seats on councils of Helsinki region
Espoo has seven of them, Vantaa has six and Helsinki has four. They are the newly-elected members of the city councils of the area who were candidates of the populist True Finns party, which saw its support surge in the recent municipal elections.
The party’s candidates got a total of 35,616 votes.
However, the brand-new councillors of the True Finns are politically a very disparate group.
Whereas 12 of them are opposed to a municipal merger of the cities in the Helsinki region, four of them are in favour of such a move. Six would take a hard line on graffiti, while four would grant graffiti artists areas where they would be allow to paint. The True Finns have always had a diversity of thought in their ranks.
One example is Jussi Halla-aho, who won the largest number of personal votes for the party in Helsinki.
The 37-year-old Halla-aho is known for his critical views on immigration, but he is much more than that. He is the father of three children, he lives in the upscale Helsinki neighbourhood of Eira, holds a PhD, was a conscientious objector to military service, and shoots guns as his hobby.
Halla-aho supports the welfare state, and places himself on the left side of the political spectrum.
In the Helsinki City Council, Halla-aho does not plan to be a single-cause person.
“Of primary importance is that we get staff for day care centres, and that we manage to keep school class sizes at a reasonable level - not the financing of multicultural festivals or the special needs of special groups.”
Taking a similar view is 31-year-old Teemu Lahtinen of Espoo. Lahtinen describes himself as a nationalist and a patriot.
“Admittedly, it is challenging to promote these issues on the municipal level”, he says.
In the Espoo City Council, Lahtinen plans to take up the issue of extending the Helsinki Metro into Espoo.
“I feel that a light rail system would suit Espoo better.”
In contrast to Halla-aho, Lahtinen places himself on the right side of the political spectrum.
In addition to immigration, the True Finns have been fishing for votes with themes criticising increased inequality.
Bearing the standard of social responsibility in the party are Pietari Jääskeläinen, who was elected to the Vantaa City Council, as well as Antti Valpas and Nina Huru of Helsinki.
“Basic security and care services have been cut constantly. This is a message from the people that it cannot go on like this”, says 61-year-old Jääskeläinen, explaining his 947 votes.
Jääskeläinen wants to prioritise three issues: increased income supplements, hiring 100 more people for health care, and measures to end the increased indebtedness of the City of Vantaa.
In Helsinki Antti Valpas campaigned on behalf of public health clinics. “They should be preserved near people”, says Valpas, 30, who lives alone with his cat. He is especially interested in issues affecting the disabled.
There is more of a common line among the True Finns in transport and day care policy. if they could decide, ticket prices on public transport would be cheaper, day care fees would be brought down, and no congestion fees would be imposed on ring roads.
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 28.10.2008 - TODAY |
 Great ideological disparity among True Finns in Helsinki region |
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