Timo Soini’s British admirers

True Finns leader invited to speak at two British party Conferences

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By Tanja Vasama in Manchester
     
      In the foyer it becomes clear what kinds of people are involved.
      A framed portrait of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher welcomes guests to the theatre in Manchester.
      Inside on the stage is another Euro-sceptic, Timo Soini, chairman of the Finnish True Finns* party. While he is somewhat less known in other countries, he is getting to have a name in Europe, which is wallowing in the ongoing economic crisis.
     
The UK, which has stayed out of the euro, is in the midst of its annual autumn season of party congresses, and Soini is in high demand.
      In early September Soini was the guest of the small anti-EU UK Independence Party (UKIP), which takes a critical view of immigration.
      Now the potential audience is much greater. The Conference of the governing Conservative Party is pulling thousands of people to Manchester for four days.
     
On Monday Soini spoke at an event of the Euro-sceptical Bruges Group think-tank on what he sees as the grim future of the euro.
      A similar speech is in store for Tuesday at the actual Conservative Party Conference.
      Fewer than 200 people show up to listen to him at the Comedy Store theatre, and Soini is not even the keynote speaker.
      Most of those present appear to have come to listen to David Starkey, a colourful historian who sees the situation in Europe as being “as bad as it was in the Second World War”.
      However, in his speech Soini does get to talk about his favourite topics - the “fat cats of Brussels”, and on "dumping money on Greece and other troublemakers”.
     
The True Finns received much attention in Britain and other parts of Europe after the Parliamentary elections in Finland last spring. At that time, the party’s critical views on immigration got a lot of airplay.
      Now the focus is on the party’s Euro-scepticism. Soini was angered by an article appearing in The Independent in connection with the UKIP party conference, in which the True Finns were said to see immigrants as “parasites living on taxpayers’ money”.
     
Media interest is guaranteed. Soini is interviewed by BBC Radio, and by Newsnight, the company’s main current affairs television programme. The topic of both interviews was the bailout package for Greece. On Tuesday Soini should be on Sky News.
      This kind of visibility is a welcome boost for Soini, as he prepares for next year’s presidential elections.
      “There’s nothing wrong with being internationally connected”, Soini says after the event, when a British fan asks his idol to be photographed next to him.
     
     
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 4.10.2011
     
     
*Although the party has decided to change its English language name to “The Finns”, Helsingin Sanomat International Edition continues to use the old name for reasons of clarity.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Timo Soini recipe for euro crisis: let insolvent banks fail (10.5.2011)
  True Finns keep Finland in international spotlight (6.5.2011)
  EDITORIAL: Timo Soini rewrote the electoral history books (18.4.2011)
  Timo Soini joins presidential race (26.9.2011)

Links:
  The Wall Street Journal: Why I Don´t Support Europe´s Bailouts (By Timo Soini)
  Conservative Party Conference 2011 (UK)

TANJA VASAMA / Helsingin Sanomat
tanja.vasama@hs.fi