Journalist portrays the rise of the far-right in Finland.
On the 14th, parliamentary elections were held in Finland, in which the center-left won and the far-right consolidated itself as the second most voted party, occupying 39 of the 200 seats in the Finnish Parliament. After 20 years, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) secured the majority of seats, with 40 elected deputies, reports journalist Monica Anneli Vasku Machado.
247 - On the 14th, parliamentary elections were held in Finland, in which the center-left won and the far-right consolidated itself as the second most voted party, occupying 39 of the 200 seats in the Finnish Parliament. After 20 years, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) secured the majority of seats, with 40 elected deputies, reports journalist Monica Anneli Vasku Machado.
"The SDP's victory brought a glimmer of hope to those who identify with agendas aimed at reducing social inequalities and strengthening minority rights," he points out.
Finland, the journalist reports, has been undergoing a process of cutting resources allocated to health and social welfare since 2015. Prime Minister Juha Sipilä, of the Keskusta party (center in Portuguese), and the parties that formed the governing coalition, such as the conservative Kokoomus party, saw cutting social spending as the way to balance the country's accounts, the journalist reports.
"The cuts and reforms proposed by the right-wing coalition strengthened the SDP, especially among elderly and poorer voters, who were fearful of cuts to their benefits. For the left, the solution to economic balance lay in raising taxes, not cutting benefits for those who need them most. Besides the SDP, two other left-wing parties (Vasemmisto and Vihreät) gained more seats in Parliament due to popular dissatisfaction with the right-wing government. In contrast, Sipilä's Keskusta lost 13,8% of the vote compared to the last elections. They now hold 31 seats, a reduction of 18 deputies."
Monica Anneli Vasku Machado provides information about the far-right party, Perussuomalaiset, which consolidated its position as the second most represented party in the country. "The story is quite reminiscent of a process recently witnessed in Brazil and other parts of the world, based on populism coupled with fear-mongering and the spread of fake news," she states.
Among the factors that contributed to the rise of the far-right, the journalist also points to xenophobia, with hate speech, which was strategically exploited by Perussuomalaiset in these last elections.
The environmental issue was also widely discussed and, according to the journalist, "helped increase the number of votes for Perussuomalaiset, who has already shown himself to be against the creation of a tax on meat consumption, winning over voters among producers in rural areas."