By Enrique Tessieri
In light of the recent scandal that has rocked the Perussuomalaiset (PS), party chairman Timo Soini now promises to banish “racist” candidates from taking part in the municipal election of October 28, according to Helsingin Sanomat, citing Swedish-language daily HBL. Can we and should we believe Soini’s latest promise?
The answer to that question is on a TV news interview on Nelonen right after the April election and what he said during a presidential debate in December, according to MTV3. On Nelonen Soini assures us that there “isn’t one racist” in the PS but then on MTV3 he admits that there are at the most “one, two or three” cases.
Racism poses the biggest threat to Soini’s plans to build a credible party. But renouncing racism is easier said than done. It is like like asking the Communist Party to renounce Karl Marx and substitute him for Adam Smith.
How do Soini and the PS define “racist?” This is unclear even if much of their energy in the past months has gone into denying racism as a wider problem in the PS and Finland.
When trying to make sense of what a right-wing populist party like the PS is really saying, you have to venture behind the meaning of the soundbites. What does Soini mean when he announces plans to ban racists from running in the municipal election of October?
He is telling us that the PS is worried about how racism is deflating credibility from the party. This is a good piece of news because, if you recall, racism, anti-immigration and anti-Islam were factors that helped the PS from becoming Finland’s third-largest party in April.
Do I believe Soini is serious about tackling a social ill like racism in the PS and Finland?
Do you believe in political fairy tales? No I don’t.
His party is a part of the problem.
Foreigner
February 23, 2012
Does that mean that we will have to keep hearing racist rants from this man until October? Why is it taking so long to banish him from the party? Says a lot about the party when they refuse to immediately disassociate themselves with someone who encourages white Finns to kill minorities.
It also says something about Finnish society when more than 35000 people can sign a petition to get a minister ousted from office over the minister’s plan to curb on alcohol vending hours, yet that same number of people cannot be found to sign a petition to remove a public figure from a political party, over his racist rant encouraging the killling of immigrants. Is alcohol more important to Finns than the lives of immigrants? Hmmmm…..?
D4R
February 23, 2012
I think Soini believes different type of racism, than the real racism. So in other words, when he really says , he’s going to kick racist out of his party, he doesnt mean the ones who’re really a racist. Soini said many times before that he doesnt see any racism in finland. So question is, who’s he going to kick out of his party?
Mark
February 23, 2012
D4R
Couldn’t have put it better myself. Very few racists are blatantly racist nowadays, because they know that will be condemned, at least publicly.
BlandaUpp
February 23, 2012
So he still hasn’t fired this guy.
eyeopener
February 23, 2012
Hi guys.
Did you really expected Soini to do so?? His SturmStaffel?? Get more realistic.
Marian
February 23, 2012
Do you people have any idea how a party organisation works?
Migrant Tales
February 23, 2012
–Do you people have any idea how a party organisation works?
Certainly we do. Take for example the PS, which has been offering us every month a scandal of some sort. Take for example the scandal for November we have hackers revealing two PS red faces; Ulla Pyysalo and Tuomas Okkonen, who applied for membership in the neo-Nazi Suomen Kansalinen Vastarainta (SKV) association. Okkonen hasn’t resigned and Pyysalo said she would if she got a new job by year-end.
She is still a member of the PS.
Could you tell us how this works without telling us what we know, ie that the PS will hold a meeting in early March to sack Tommi Rautio from the party.
eyeopener
February 23, 2012
No Marian. I don’t know. I am ignorant in this field. Never been a member of an organization!!.
Are you really asking a serious question??
Can’t believe my eyes!!
Marian
February 23, 2012
You said it yourself. I don’t see what this blog gains from comments like ones by BlandaUpp or eyeopener.
Migrant Tales
February 23, 2012
Marian, they come from countries where disgraced politicians resign immediately. They don’t wait for party meetings for something like that to happen.
Here is an example of how it works in the United States:
eyeopener
February 23, 2012
Neither from yoyrs. But you present yourself as superior. The blog is not yours. Playing the arrogancy card is naive. Being ignorant at the same time qualifies you in the lower sections of intelligence.
Cratch your legs will you!!
Marian
February 23, 2012
Eyeopener
I think you just enjoy being ignorant.
eyeopener
February 23, 2012
Hi Marian.
No not really. However, it’s just a pity that you don’t see yours!!
Visitor
February 23, 2012
Tommi Rautio is also a member of Suomen Sisu. Please read this blog entry: http://vallanvahtikoira.blogspot.com/2012/02/soinin-vai-sisun-puhdistus.html
“Nelosen uutiset kertoi tänään, että Perussuomalaisten tarkoitus on siivota listat rasisteista.
”Kansanedustaja Jussi Halla-ahon syyte kiihottamisesta kansanryhmää vastaan hylättiin, mutta korkein oikeus tutkii koko syytepaketin. Kansanedustaja James Hirvisaari sai sakot hovioikeudessa kiihottamisesta kansanryhmää vastaan, mutta hän hakee valituslupaa. Kaupunginvaltuutettu Freddy van Wonterghemiä syytetään huomenna kiihottamisesta kansanryhmää vastaan. Köyliön kunnanvaltuutettua Tommi Rautiota epäillään kiihottamisesta kansanryhmää vastaan.”
Mielenkiintoista uutisessa on se, että kaikki mainitut henkilöt ovat Suomen Sisun jäseniä. Raution jäsenyyden vahvisti pitkän linjan sisulainen Esa Taberman tänään Facebookissa. Taberman avautui ystävänsä, samoin sisulaisen, Leon Degrellen eli Klaus Elovaaran profiilissa. Elovaara on aiemmin Facebookissa julistanut avoimesti sisulaisuuttaan.”
Migrant Tales
February 23, 2012
Hei Visitor ja tervetuloa Migrant Tales blogin.
Tieto siitä, että Rautio on sisulainen ei yllättää minua. Se oli odottavissa.
Vallan vahtikoira on hyvä blogi. Suositellen.
Akaaro
February 23, 2012
Well, i don’t think Soini is willing to fire anyone from his part for sake of racial hatred actions because he himself often does this, so he cannot afford compelling Rautio or other member of the PS not to do same racism deeds. They say that they are true-finns and their principles are based on to hate non-true-Finns, some MPs of the party had already made hate speech publicly during precedding years and nothing much was happened. Why the governement is not ready to tackle this issue of racism, violent behaviour and killing of innocent immigrants and muslims?
Akaaro
February 23, 2012
sorry. corrections…………. his party
Migrant Tales
February 23, 2012
–Well, i don’t think Soini is willing to fire anyone from his part for sake of racial hatred actions because he himself often does this, so he cannot afford compelling Rautio or other member of the PS not to do same racism deeds.
Well said, Akaaro. Soini is no different from what the most extremist wing of his party. The only difference is that he does not insult anyone and claims to be an angel, which he is not. Soini is the good cop of the PS, he sugarcoats his words. This Migrant Tales blog entry may help clear the matter up.
Akaaro
February 23, 2012
I believe that Soini and his PS group are unable to stop their racism and inhumane actions, because they think that their party will have not survived without using as a scapegoat for the immigrants. PS needs to be in that nasty scale of racism as fish need always being in water.
D4R
February 23, 2012
Marian. I think you just enjoy being ignorant.
Marian, you’re very childish and arrogant. Not everyone shares same world view like you do, we understand you’re a Perussuomalainen, but attacking anyone who oppose you’re, is sign of insecurity. I suggest you take social classes, of how to behave correctly with people, becus you lack skills in that department.
D4R
February 23, 2012
Soini is not going to kick this guy out, when he has plenty of his likes in the party, you can’t blame Tommi, he just represents his party.
D4R
February 23, 2012
Marian: Do you people have any idea how a party organisation works?
Atleast, now people know, how Perussuomalainen party members act like.
D4R
February 23, 2012
They’re going to have a meeting with tommi, not to fire him, but to tell him to slow down and keepit low. lol
D4R
February 23, 2012
Visitor: Tommi Rautio is also a member of Suomen Sisu. Please read this blog entry: http://vallanvahtikoira.blogspot.com/2012/02/soinin-vai-sisun-puhdistus.html
“Nelosen uutiset kertoi tänään, että Perussuomalaisten tarkoitus on siivota listat rasisteista.
”Kansanedustaja Jussi Halla-ahon syyte kiihottamisesta kansanryhmää vastaan hylättiin, mutta korkein oikeus tutkii koko syytepaketin. Kansanedustaja James Hirvisaari sai sakot hovioikeudessa kiihottamisesta kansanryhmää vastaan, mutta hän hakee valituslupaa. Kaupunginvaltuutettu Freddy van Wonterghemiä syytetään huomenna kiihottamisesta kansanryhmää vastaan. Köyliön kunnanvaltuutettua Tommi Rautiota epäillään kiihottamisesta kansanryhmää vastaan.”
Mielenkiintoista uutisessa on se, että kaikki mainitut henkilöt ovat Suomen Sisun jäseniä. Raution jäsenyyden vahvisti pitkän linjan sisulainen Esa Taberman tänään Facebookissa. Taberman avautui ystävänsä, samoin sisulaisen, Leon Degrellen eli Klaus Elovaaran profiilissa. Elovaara on aiemmin Facebookissa julistanut avoimesti sisulaisuuttaan.”
This says it all. They’re all a bunch of Nazi’s, no wonder once and a while, soemthing racist slips out of them, they can’t help it, it’s their ideology.
eyeopener
February 24, 2012
Thanks D4R!!
D4R
February 24, 2012
You welcome eyeopener