Lapsiperhelaakson tarinoita:

Muista, että olet tärkeä ja elämäsi elämisen arvoinen.

Kuka yllättyi?

Politiikka

A brief overview of recent events in Finnish politics:

Vilhelm Junnila, a politician in the True Finns posts nazi-adjacent jokes on the internet for years and speaks at a neo-nazi event. Nothing much happens besides discontent from the left.

In the last election, the goverment coalition is formed by the National Coalition Party (a center-right liberal conservatist party), the True Finns (a right-wing populist party), the Swedish People's Party, and the Christian Democrats. This coalition is led by now-Prime Minister Petteri Orpo of the NCP.

Orpo assigns Junnila as the Minister of Economic Affairs.

Foreign media notes that the Finnish government has a nazi (or at least a nazi-sympathizer) as a minister.

Orpo states that nazi-sympathetic conduct is unacceptable of a minister.

The Finnish government holds a motion of confidence on whether Junnila should be removed from his position as minister.

Riikka Purra, Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the True Finns, threatens to break the government if Junnila is removed.

The motion of confidence is held. Twelve congresspeople in the opposition do not attend the vote.

The National Coalition Party votes unanimously to keep a nazi as a minister.

The True Finns vote unanimously to keep a nazi as a minister.

The Christian Democrats vote unanimously to keep a nazi as a minister.

Most attending congresspeople from other parties vote to remove the nazi as a minister. Three congressmen in the Swedish People's Party vote to abstain.

An exception to this is Ben Zyskowicz, a Jewish congressman in the NCP, who abstained from voting despite being present. Notably, he was assaulted in a hate crime during his election campaign this spring.

The motion of confidence ends at 95 for, 86 against. Junnila keeps his position as minister.

Further research into Junnila's history shows that he lied about his education and experience. He had never studied political science nor had he ever worked as an entrepreneur despite his claims otherwise.

After a total of 11 days in office, Vilhelm Junnila resigns.

Voitaisiinko tämä fasisti karkottaa Suomesta?

Ehdotetut muutokset:

1) Puhemies ei voi kieltäytyä kutsumasta eduskuntaa koolle, jos 60 kansanedustajaa sitä vaatii.

2) Puhemies voidaan erottaa 2/3 määräenemmistöllä.

3) Puhemieheltä ja ministereiltä vaaditaan hyvämaineisuutta.

Allekirjoita ja jaa!

Two notable defeats handed to the far right in European elections over the weekend. 🇩🇪🇫🇮

In the German state of Thuringia, the candidate of the extremist AfD unexpectedly was upset by the candidate for the moderate center-right CDU in a runoff for district administrator of Saale-Orla. The position of district administrator (Landrat) is roughly equivalent to a county board chair/president in the US.

AfD loses run-off in first vote since mass-deportation story

Christian Herrgott of the conservative CDU beat out far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) candidate Uwe Thrum in a regional run-off election in the eastern German state of Thuringia on Sunday. The vote was viewed by political observers as a barometer for the AfD's popularity at a time when damaging headlines may have dented its alarming nationwide momentum. The vote was the first since Correctiv, an investigative journalism outfit, published a report outlining a November meeting in which AfD politicians and far-right extremists — including Austrian neo-Nazi Martin Sellner of the Identitarian Movement — discussed plans for the mass deportation of foreigners and unassimilated German citizens should they come to power. The story sparked outrage and led to numerous rallies across the country in which more than one million people turned out to demonstrate against right-wing extremism and for democracy. AfD candidate Thrum had led the race safely before the Correctiv report was released — he dominated the general election two weeks ago with 45.7% of the vote compared to Herrgott's 33.3% — but only gained 47.6% of the vote to Herrgott's 52.4% on Sunday. Herrgott, the 39-year-old leader of the CDU state party in Thuringia, has been a state parliamentarian since 2014 and will take up his post as district administrator on February 9.

So Herrgott ran 12.4% behind Thrum in the first round but ended up beating Thrum by 4.8% in the runoff. Presumably voters from other pro-democracy parties united Herrgott to lift him to victory.

In any country, unity among pro-democracy forces is necessary to defeat fascism.

—··—— —··—— —··—— —··——

Meanwhile, Finland held the first round of its presidential election on Sunday to replace retiring President Sauli Niinistö.

Former Prime Minister Alexander Stubb of the pro-EU center-right National Coalition Party (NCP) (Kokoomus) came in first place with 27.2% of the vote. Former Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto, a member of the Green League (Vihreät) but running as an independent, came in second place with 25.8%. Stubb and Haavisto move forward to the runoff on February 11th.

Edged out of the runoff was Speaker of Parliament Jussi Halla-aho of the far right Finns Party (Perussuomalaiset) who received 19.0% of the vote and finished third.

Finland’s Stubb and Haavisto head for runoff in presidential election

As neither Stubb nor Haavisto secured the 50 percent needed to win outright in the first round, the two will now go head to head in a second round on February 11.  [ ... ] “Of course it’s nice to come first in the first round, but everything starts again tomorrow morning; the election starts again,” Stubb told reporters as the vote count drew to a close.  The result marked the latest step in an unlikely comeback for Stubb, an ebullient and at times divisive politician, who walked away from Finnish politics in 2017 after a brief stint as prime minister ended in a parliamentary election defeat.  [ ... ] Stubb has said Russia’s attack on Ukraine in 2022 drew him back into the political fray; like his rival Haavisto he has said he will take a hard line against Finland’s giant eastern neighbor.  Presidents in Finland take a leading role in foreign policy and serve as the country’s commander-in-chief, meaning the looming shift from widely respected incumbent Sauli Niinistö, who has reached Finland’s limit of two six-year terms, to Stubb or Haavisto is on the radar of international leaders.  [ ... ] Haavisto also has a long foreign policy track record. He is often less forceful in debates than Stubb, but is seen as a quietly effective operator.  Both candidates represent mainstream political parties in Finland: Stubb as a longtime lawmaker with the center-right National Coalition Party and Haavisto with the center-left Green Party. 

Stubb and Haavisto are staunchly pro-Ukraine. Finland fought a war with Stalin's Soviet Union and has few illusions about its eastern neighbor. Even Halla-aho, unlike the leaders of some other far right parties, is not a fan of Putin's Russia.

On a personal note, Haavisto would become Finland's first LGBTQ president if he wins on February 11th.

Finland’s ‘DJ’ candidate hopes to become the country’s first Green and gay president

Finland recently joined NATO. If it also elects a gay president then homophobe Vladimir Putin might get conniptions. 🤯

"Ei saa kukaan luulla että hyväksytään homot, ettei mene pilalle maine jotakuinkin Suomen homovastaisimpana kaupunkina."

(Keskivertopersuhan tuskin tietää, että sateenkaarilippu ei tarkoita pelkästään homoja.)

it's voting season in finland again. remember to congratulate your finnish mutuals on their continued efforts to not punch a persu everytime they see one. we don't wanna get arrested or sued for assault, but man, the urge is sometimes hard to fight.

Seneräänpäivänlaakson tarinoita:

Kesä '23, tällaisena muistamme sen

tee petteri orpo moodboard pliis!!

Petteri Orpo on niin old money ja Lana del rey kuuntelija ^^

Suomen Hallitus | YouTube shorts

🩷Natsit vittuun🩷Fuck Nazis🩷

Article on the Neo-Nazis in Finnish government.