HS analysis|Racism has been conspicuous by its absence from the discussion topics when the government’s anti-racism program has been discussed. There are three reasons for that, writes Hanna Mahlamäki, head of the politics department.
Squirting, procrastination, embarrassing the prime minister, taking away credibility and foxing. This is how the activities of basic Finns have been commented on in the past week. How can Perussuomalaiset be the government party and stay out of the government’s anti-racism campaign at the same time?
Chairman of Basic Finns, Minister of Finance Riikka Purra thought that basic Finns would leave the campaign on Tuesday just a moment after the prime minister Petteri Orpo (kok) had solemnly opened it.
As far as he knows basic Finns, the party does not participate in the campaign, and it has not participated in any campaigns or declarations before, Purra said in Kouvola, at the press conference of the summer meeting of basic Finns. It was a sincere and realistic assessment, although in the context of the discussion it sounded like a provocation to many.
On Friday, Purra confirmed MTV’s Uutisextrathat the Basic Finns party government has made a decision to stay out of the campaign.
Tuesday’s event, where Purra crocheted his sentences that became news, was in a certain sense exceptional in Finland. But there was logic in his words.
From the party Regardless, the speech of politicians in public is always speech also for those whose support they are fighting for at that very moment and for those whose support they are trying to ensure. From the point of view of the audience that follows the news with a sincere heart, it is a bit of a shame that it is often some kind of theater.
The support of basic Finns has decreased by almost six percentage points in a year. Based on opinion polls, it is estimated that the support flowed primarily to the stands, not so much to other parties. Basic Finns are therefore trying to wake up the part of the population that would not necessarily vote for anyone if there were elections now, but might at most be excited about basic Finns.
In Kouvola, the Basic Finns MPs gathered for the first time after the summer break, and they feel the pressure on their necks: there is something to tighten. During the summer, they have also heard messages in their constituencies that not everyone accepts the ongoing cuts.
This the tension was in the background when we came to what turned out to be an extraordinary occasion on Tuesday.
Usually, party leaders appear in front of the media without the actual audience present. Journalists ask questions, politicians answer. Emotions usually don’t erupt.
On Tuesday, seats were reserved for journalists in the front row of the auditorium of the meeting place, opposite the party leadership, as is customary. What was exceptional, on the other hand, was that the Basic Finns MPs and party officials stayed in the hall as an audience for the press conference and participated in it like a sports match where they try to silence the other party.
Purra was asked how he himself plans to act to reduce racism. Purra used the opportunity to talk, above all, to his own people.
“I do, among other things, if I take one example, a sensible immigration policy,” Purra answered. The hall erupted into applause and excited shouts. The applause for Purra lasted more than ten seconds. Basic Finns think Purran edging for the media was apparently perfect.
The next round of applause was heard when Purra answered the reporter’s question about the Minister of Transport and Communications, who started as Minister of the Interior Lulu Ranteen (ps) for double liability. According to Purra, Rante’s choice Mari Rantanen instead of “snapping the media”, but Perus Finns know that it is not a problem.
Event manifests rarely clearly the situation that the Basic Finns want to create: the party also fights against the media. The journalists at the event were mostly a little bewildered or amused.
Let’s go back to the theater analogy again.
In the government, the ideological opposite pole of basic Finns is Rkp. Rkp recently announced that it aims for a significant increase in work-related immigration. Rkp also talks about racism when speaking specifically to its supporters.
The layout revealed on Friday the former chairman Anna-Maja Henriksson saying that “it’s nice to watch from the sidelines” when the government’s anti-racism campaign is discussed. However, he remembered to add that there is no place for racism in Finland.
The relationship between basic Finns and journalists is not as tense as public appearances and social media comments suggest. Some of the politicians of the basic Finns approach journalists as open-minded as the actors of other parties.
HS’s former US correspondent Anna-Sofia Berner says in his book Ten Wounds in America’s Heart having encountered Donald Trump at a campaign event, Trump supporters who, based on the text on their t-shirts, declared that they hate “fake news media” but spoke to the reporter in a downright heartfelt tone.
I myself have interviewed protestors in Germany who believe in violent conspiracy theories, who have a warm and friendly attitude towards the journalist.
Still, it’s not always about the theater. The public’s distrust of the media has also led to violence against journalists in several countries.
In anti-racism in the campaign, the discussion about racism has been conspicuous by its absence. One of the reasons is political theater.
Another reason is that the government implements its program of measures only when forced to: last summer, it thought it would fall into the racism crisis.
Business delegation on Saturday published research tells the third reason for the taste of forced execution: less than a quarter of the supporters of the coalition and about five percent of the supporters of Basic Finns consider racism to be a very big or rather big problem.
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