A few diverse thoughts on the election campaign as it goes into its final week.
Astrid Thors has a sense of humour
Being the government minister responsible for immigration can’t be an easy job in a time when populists are on the rise. Migration Minister Astrid Thors of the Swedish People’s Party (SFP) has faced a tough time in the media and often hateful threats against her from hardline anti-immigration campaigners. Indeed, due to this she requires a body guard when out in public. But an article in yesterday’s Hufvudstadsbladet shows that Thors has not lost her sense of humour during this often tough four year parliamentary term. On Friday, as she campaigned for votes at SFP’s election hut next to Stockmann in central Helsingfors/Helsinki, she wore a flowery hat, mocking the Finnish language’s nickname of “flower-hatted aunt” referring to persons who are pro-immigration.
Whilst Hufvudstadsbladet‘s reporter was at the scene, one man did walk by Thors and shouted aggressively, “Kick out the niggers from Finland!” Straight after this, one of the few candidates with an immigrant background from the national Coalition party Kokoomus, Fatbardhe Hetemaj, approached Thors from Kokoomus’ neighbouring election hut to admire her hat. At the same time, Kokoomus parliament member for Helsinki Ben Zyskowicz stood with an election brochure and attempted to hand it to an older lady with her grandchildren, to which the elder lady replied in Swedish, “I am not voting for you and I vote in Nyland/Uusimaa electoral district anyway”. To which Zyskowicz replied that she should then vote for Alexander Stubb, Finland’s foreign minister who is standing as a Kokoomus candidate in Nyland. The elderly lady instead determinedly approached Astrid Thors.
Indeed, it can’t be easy to be an immigrant or Swedish-speaking candidate or supporter for Kokoomus. The party contains elements that are extremely hostile to both. The party’s youth wing has voted for scrapping the Swedish-language as a part of the compulsory school curriculum in Finnish schools. Whilst the youth wing’s chairman Wille Rydman, who is a candidate in the parliamentary election in Helsinki, has expressed anti-immigrant views that can be considered on a par with the populist True Finns. He has in the past even expressed support for the views of the hardline racist candidate of the True Finns Jussi Hallo-aho. Swedish-speakers and immigrants considering voting for Kokoomus candidates such as Stubb should be aware who else might benefit from their vote.
As for Astrid Thors, her strongest challenge in this election probably comes from Jörn Donner. The veteran politician, author, film director and journalist is also standing as an SFP candidate in the capital. SFP strategists hope that Donner could attract a large enough number of votes to ensure that party would win two mandates in Helsinki. This however seems unlikely, and if Donner were too win more votes than Thors, he could knock her out of parliament.
True Finns – Sann’finländarna’
Saturday was a flag day in honour of the Finnish language. The Finnish flag flew outside our house as it did from the flag poles of our neighbours, who are predominantly also Swedish-speaking Finns due to the area in which I live. We are one nation with two languages and it is right that we mark this fact. Yet, it made me think, I wonder how many True Finns supporters and candidates fly the Finnish flag on the 6 November each year, a flag day marking the Swedish language and culture in Finland. It made me wonder whether we should really be translating Perussuomalaiset to Sannfinländarna in Swedish. This will make little sense to the English-speaker, so allow me to explain. The Swedish-language, unlike English and for the most part Finnish, makes a distinction between finne and finländare. Both would be translated as ‘Finn’ in English, whereas in Swedish the former refers to a Finnish-speaking Finn and the latter to any Finn regardless of language group. Finlandssvensk refers to a Swedish-speaking Finn. The translation “Sannfinländarna” thus means “[the] True Finns” in the sense of all Finns regardless of language group. Yet, the party is clearly against anyone who is not a Finnish-speaking non-immigrant. It doesn’t like immigrants or Swedish-speakers. It might be more accurate to translate its name as Sannfinnarna in future. Let’s not pretend it is an inclusive party.
Voters disenfranchised in Berlin
One of the perhaps most troubling stories in the last couple of days was reported by Radio Vega’s Aktuellt news bulletin this morning. Yesterday was the last day for Finnish citizens living abroad to cast their vote at Finland’s diplomatic posts. However, this was made impossible for around 30 persons trying to vote at the Finnish embassy in Berlin. The embassy ran out of ballot papers thus effectively disenfranchising those effected unless they happen to be able to travel to Finland to vote here. Aktuellt‘s reporter in Berlin spoke with an official from the Berlin embassy who noted that they had noticed that they were low on ballot papers earlier in the week and had ordered 150 more from the consulates in Hamburg and Stuttgart. However, when the reporter asked why it wasn’t possible to order more from Finland when there are several flights a day between the Finnish and German capitals, the official was dumbstruck and could not supply an answer. Let’s hope that this serious break-down in the mechanics of democracy is an isolated incident.
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Sunday 10.4.11 at 17:40
jokuvaan
Language peace committee(initiated 1941, ended 1944) recommended to stop using the word finländare.
What comes to Thors near SFP’s election hut, one eyewitness said that she was barraged with questions related to social immigration. I have a hunch that SFP has somewhat miscalcuted their voter base attitude over this.
Berlin folks got another chance on Monday, but only those who left their ID-information.
Monday 11.4.11 at 23:01
Pentti
Helsinki is Helsinki also in English, not Helsingfors, and the same concerns Uusimaa. I know it’s a pain in your ass that the Swedish correspondents are not used in English, and I know you are now wanting to tell how these are the original names, but no use, try to live with it.
If you state something like “hardline racist candidate of the True Finns Jussi Hallo-aho”, you ought to argumentate also why you think like this, give some supportive facts. Calling someone racist doesn’t make him a one. Another point, it is not only the youth of Coalition party that are against the compulsory Swedish, in fact it’s every youth organization of the Parliament parties apart from SU.
Why do you think Swedish speakers shouldn’t vote for parties that have candidates who support volunteer Swedish in school? Around 15% of the Swedish speakers support volunteer Swedish (Svenska Yle, Åbo Akademi, 2010).
PS. röstade på 127 i Helsingfors idag.
Tuesday 12.4.11 at 9:01
Jonas
Hi Jokuvaan,
Whatever the language peace committee may have said in the 1940s, it doesn’t really change how Swedish is used today. And it should be noted that the official language body advise the opposite to what you say was recommended in the 40s.
It is good news that the 30 or so who were unable to vote in Berlin on Friday were permitted to vote yesterday. Good that the election law had a paragraph on what to do should people trying to vote abroad not being able to do so on the allotted day. Still, they should have organised things better last week.
Hi Pentti,
Thanks for your comment, and welcome to this blog!
You will notice that this blog is called Svenskfinland in English, so sometimes I like to use the Swedish names. As the title hints at, it’s kind of a theme with this blog
, you will notice I generally continue with the majority language name in further mentions in an article. Sometimes it’s nice to remind the non-Swedish and Finnish speaking world, that Swedish is also an official language in this land. You will be aware that Helsinki was founded many years ago and was until roughly the turn of the nineteenth/twentieth centuries a majority Swedish-speaking city. As with much of the rest of Nyland, sorry Uusimaa, it has since been the destination for much inward migration by Finnish-speakers causing a significant and rapid change in the demographic balance. Don’t worry, when I write in other more official contexts in English, I always use the name in the majority language of the municipality concerned as is recommended.
As you’re such a stickler for proper language, you’ll probably appreciate being informed that “argumentate” is not a word in English. But that’s fine, I am sure you’ve noticed that my English is aslo far from perfect. It used to be much better, but I am getting old.
Also, I don’t think Swedish-speakers should not vote for parties that have candidates against obligatory Swedish in Finnish-medium schools. I’d simply hope that they wouldn’t. We live in a democracy. Swedish-speakers, along with everybody else, should vote for who they think will best represent them. 15% is a lot, but 85% is rather more. We’re still rather a united group. But ultimately, we are all from Finland – you are my compatriot just as much as Sven Svensson from Närpes. One people, two languages. It’s important we all learn both of our native country’s national tongues. I have covered the reasons for this before in numerous entries.
I am sure that the racist Hallo-aho is glad for your vote. You are, quite naturally, entitled to vote as you please. It’s good that it looks like this election will at least see an increased turnout compared to the last two. I suspect largely because many people are horrified at the thought of so many True Finns being in our parliament – and worried of the international embarrassment this would be. We’ve always been a proud nation and I am sure many don’t want to get the same kind of reputation as Denmark. Our participation levels have been tragically low when compared to the other Nordic countries in recent times.
Thursday 14.4.11 at 20:21
Timothy Bryan
Jonas,
Any news on the results so far?
Thursday 14.4.11 at 21:05
Jonas
Hi Timothy,
Do you mean of the elections? The results of advanced voting are never announced until after the end of voting on the actual election day (20.00). In fact, advanced votes are not even allowed to be counted until after a certain time on the election day. This is so as not to influence those who wish to cast their vote the day itself (such as myself).
So, watch this space.
Friday 15.4.11 at 5:27
Timothy Bryan
AHhh, I thought the election day had come, sorry
I will keep my eye open.
Sunday 17.4.11 at 20:16
anon
“the Finnish language’s nickname of “flower-hatted aunt” referring to persons who are pro-immigration”
Nope. Sorry.
The term refers to people with knee-jerk reactions based purely on emotion and a penchant for strict control. Basically the it describes those old ladies who would ban everything based on their personal whims and irritation.
Sunday 17.4.11 at 20:24
Jonas
Absolutely, that’s been the more established meaning. But, it seems to have changed lately in the debate – perhaps just because of labelling of Thors as a flower hatted aunt.