Advanced voting for this year’s Parliamentary Election began across the country this morning and continues for a week. Around 40 per cent of the electorate usually vote in advance of election day itself, which this year is on 17 April. Both of the morning newspapers we subscribe to gave a hint of this news this morning with both Hufvudstadsbladet and Borgåbladet carrying full front page advertisements from the Swedish People’s Party (SFP). In our house, we have always had the tradition of voting on the actual voting day in our polling station, which is the local school, only ten minutes walk from where we live. And that is no doubt how we shall vote this year as well.
This year, more than ever, it’s important that everyone votes! In recent years, Finland has had very poor turnouts compared to our Nordic neighbours (e.g. over 84% of Swedes turned out in their election in September 2010, only 67,8% of Finns voted in he last parliamentary election in 2007). The threat of the populist anti-Swedish and anti-foreigner True Finns party winning a high proportion of the vote should ensure that more people vote this time. Not to mention the fact that the polls showing their level of support being comparable to the ‘big three’ parties in Finnish politics makes this year’s election more interesting, even if for a rather less than desirable reason. It may be so that low turnout in recent elections was partly down to the perceived inability of the voter to effect much change in a Parliament dominated by three almost equally sized parties (Centre, the conservative coalition Kokoomus party, and the Social Democrats). Swedish-speaking Finns, who always turn out in disproportionately high numbers compared to the population as a whole, have an extra reason to make their voice heard in this year’s poll – the status of Swedish has been discussed more vocally in this campaign than perhaps before the 1940s.
I haven’t had time to blog much lately, but as the election campaign enters its final phase, I will try and provide at least a few updates. On results night, I will hopefully provide a live blog as I did with the European Parliament Elections of 2009.
5 comments
Comments feed for this article
Thursday 7.4.11 at 8:36
Timothy Bryan
Good luck SFP and other folks that support Swedish-speaking Finns
Thursday 7.4.11 at 10:30
Jonas
Good luck to all candidates that support an open, tolerant society!
This evening will see the Swedish language election debate between party leaders. It’s on FST5 at 20.00 this evening. Although, apparently Alexander Stubb (foreign minister) is a last minute replacement for Jyrki Katainen (finance minister, leader of Coalition party Kokoomus) due to the ramifications of Portugal’s application for EU emergency financial support. This will probably benefit the party a lot. Katainen has admirably actively worked to improve his Swedish since taking the helm of his party, but Stubb – as a mother tongue speaker – wil obviously perform better. As a Swedish-speaker, he also will appeal to the Swedish-speaking electorate. I think SFP in Nyland/Uusimaa will potentially lose a significant number of voters to Stubb, especially in areas such as Esbo and Vanda where the Swedish-speakers are more finnicised and thus less likely to have a problem with voting for Stubb’s party. They would do well to remember that he shares a party with the likes of Wille Rydman when they go to their polling station.
Thursday 7.4.11 at 15:22
Mark
Perhaps I am missing something (I am neither Finnish or Swedish) but why should the language used in a debate, and a person’s ability at that language have any influence on who to vote for? Surely votes should be given to the candidates you personally agree with and believe in. Is it really the case that someone won’t consider voting for certain candidates because they don’t speak a particular language?
Thursday 7.4.11 at 16:06
Jonas
Mark, welcome to this blog!
I think you are absolutely right to an extent. Although, you have to appreciate that Finland has two official languages and it’s not unreasonable for us to expect that someone who is a candidate for Prime Minister might be able to speak both of them to a reasonable degree of fluency. But, as I said above, I greatly admire Katainen for the proactive way he has tackled Swedish since winning the leadership of his party. He has also defended the Swedish language at a time when doing such a thing is perhaps not the most popular thing to do with many in his own party. And of course, we live in a media age – presentation makes a difference too, rightly or wrongly. Any candidate who seems less able to cope in a debate is likely to come of worse.
Thursday 7.4.11 at 17:29
jokuvaan
That debate will be watched merely by Swedish speakers and about 70% of them will vote SFP no matter what happens in it. Fluent speak gives “us” feeling, heavy accent gives a foreign feeling that will have some influence on what the remaining 30% will do but all in all, that Swedish spoken debate is more about “law says it must be held” than actual need for it.
Also good Swedish will give a picture that person is more motivated and capable of defending current law situation. I remember reading that SDP’s Urpilainen has visited Åland to get language training, her voting constituency has a lot of Swedish speakers and she needs their votes badly this time or she will drop from the parliament.
Jonas can give school grades about the debate if he has time.(language skills included)