No True Finns...man?(A Finnish Election Thread)

[Shrillland]

My first one of the year. Hurray.

Anyway, the Finnish eduskunta is coming up for a vote on Sunday, April 2. Finland has one of the youngest heads of government in the word right now, and she's courted small controversy in her tenure for her social media usage, but Sanna Marin hasn't seen a lot of damage from that. She and the SDP's main problems are the same ones affecting the rest of Europe: An energy crisis coupled by high global inflation(both results of the Donbass War) and COVID measues fatigue. Back in 2021, the far-right Finns Party managed a huge jump in local councils thanks to the slumping economy, though the National Coalition(KOK) lead both there and in the WSC(Wellbeing Services County) votes last year. So, a fairly common pattern across Europe coupled with Marin's predecessor's scandals over the 2019 postal workers strike. KOK is leading in current polls while the Finns have tapped into fear over both energy and inflation.

Now for the makeup. The eduskunta has 200 seats in 13 multi-member districts decided by D'Hondt open list PR with no threshold. The constituencies' seat numbers are based on the population six months before the vote except in the Åland Islands, who have a single seat decided by FPTP.

And now to meet the parties(in order of average poll numbers):

National Coalition Party(KOK) led by Petteri Orpo: Centre-right, Liberal Conservative

Social Democrats(SDP) led by Current PM Sanna Marin: Centre-left, Social Democratic

Finns Party(PS) led by Riikka Purra: Right to Far Right, National Conservative, Right Populist

Centre Party(Kesk) led by Annika Saarikko: Centre, Liberal, Agrarian

Green League(VIHR) led by Maria Ohisalo: Centre-left, Green Liberal

Left Alliance(vas.) led by Li Andersson: Left Wing, Democratic Socialist, Eco-Socialist

Swedish People's Party(SFP) led by Anna-Maja Henriksson: Centre, Swedish Langugage Interest, Liberal

Christian Democrats(KD) led by Sari Essayah: Centre-right, Social Conservative, Christian Democratic

Movement Now(Liike Nyt) led by Harry Harkimo: Centre-right, Economic Liberal

So, who's your horse? If you don't know, let this give you a little help. For me, I'm always a softy for Green parties, so VIHR is an obvious choice, but I'm also in favour of Marin's proposed windfall tax on energy companies, so I'll put SDP a close second.

[Emotional Support Crocodile]

I hope lots of Finns don't like KOK.

[Great American United States]

Finns Party has my vote. Or, rather, it would have my vote if I were Finnish.

[The Rio Grande River Basin]

I hope lots of Finns don't like KOK.

“Kok”
-Janus May on Topwi Gearij

Anyhow, I vote for the DemSocs

[Shrillland]

My timing's perfect...SDP's put out their manifesto today, KOK and Kesk both think it's rubbish

[The Rio Grande River Basin]

My timing's perfect...SDP's put out their manifesto today, KOK and Kesk both think it's rubbish

Ah yes, Neo-Fascists dislike Social Democrats.

[Shrillland]

My timing's perfect...SDP's put out their manifesto today, KOK and Kesk both think it's rubbish

Ah yes, Neo-Fascists dislike Social Democrats.

KOK is neo-Fascist? That's PS.

[The Rio Grande River Basin]

Ah yes, Neo-Fascists dislike Social Democrats.

KOK is neo-Fascist? That's PS.

Well, Kesk is bordering on right wing populism, which is one step from fascism.

[Risottia]

So... another capitalists+neofascists cabinet coming up?
Perkele, wasn't the situation fucked up enough already?

[Port Myreal]

Which of the parties are pro-Nato?

[Senkaku]

Anyway, the Finnish Eduskunta is coming up for a vote on Sunday, April 2.

I hope lots of Finns don't like KOK.

You’re telling me KOK is running for the kunta? I can’t do this anymore

[Shrillland]

Which of the parties are pro-Nato?

Since the invasion, it's easier to ask which ones are still holding out against. Only the Left Alliance and Liike Nyt still have reservations against joining, and both of them aren't necessarily opposed in theory anymore. vas. wants Finland to remain purely defensive, which can be done, and Liike Nyt is supportive for at least a vote on membership because Sweden's trying to get in. PS more or less sees NATO membership as a lesser evil than remaining within the EU, and the SDP, the biggest opponents to NATO for decades, are the ones that made the move to join.

[El Lazaro]

I hope lots of Finns don't like KOK.

KOK is fine, but Kokoomus is too obscene. When did conservatives stop pretending to uphold decency and manners?

[Port Myreal]

Which of the parties are pro-Nato?

Since the invasion, it's easier to ask which ones are still holding out against. Only the Left Alliance and Liike Nyt still have reservations against joining, and both of them aren't necessarily opposed in theory anymore. vas. wants Finland to remain purely defensive, which can be done, and Liike Nyt is supportive for at least a vote on membership because Sweden's trying to get in. PS more or less sees NATO membership as a lesser evil than remaining within the EU, and the SDP, the biggest opponents to NATO for decades, are the ones that made the move to join.

Thanks for the reply.

[Tinhampton]

...though the National Coalition(KOK) lead both there and in the WSC(Wellbeing Services County) votes last year.

Why am I now imagining that health and care workers have their own constituency?

[Shrillland]

...though the National Coalition(KOK) lead both there and in the WSC(Wellbeing Services County) votes last year.

Why am I now imagining that health and care workers have their own constituency?

Not quite what a WSC is, it's just that the government divided health and care services into counties that(mostly) fit in with Finland's regions and set up WSC boards to manage them.

[-Astoria-]

Why am I now imagining that health and care workers have their own constituency?

Not quite what a WSC is, it's just that the government divided health and care services into counties that(mostly) fit in with Finland's regions and set up WSC boards to manage them.

An equivalent to regional health authorities/boards, I suppose?

[Shrillland]

Not quite what a WSC is, it's just that the government divided health and care services into counties that(mostly) fit in with Finland's regions and set up WSC boards to manage them.

An equivalent to regional health authorities/boards, I suppose?

Exactly.

[Shrillland]

SDP, KOK, Kesk, and VIHR all say they would complete NATO application process

MEanwhile, the current coalition's proposed bill prohibiting FGM in Finland won't be finished before the Eduskunta's dissolution because of internal debates regarding gender neutrality

[Shrillland]

This may end up getting its own thread,but KOK has a leader of a Biafran militia in its midst.

Simon Ekpa is a KOK member of Lahti's Public Transport Board. He also ran for Päijät-Häme WSC Councillor last year and lost. He's also a commander in IPOB and its armed wing. Indigenous People of Biafra is an armed political group wanting to restore the defunct region of Eastern Nigeria.

[Regnum Alea Spaceflee]

I just want Kesk to win for the C E N T R I S M

[Shrillland]

Simon Ekpa briefly arrested and interrogated by KRP(Finland's national police), released but still under investigation for his alleged actions leading Nigerian militia

The Nigerian press is obviously looking at it, and a lot of Igbos are glad to see action taken

[El Lazaro]

Nobody asked for this, but since Finland has PR (well, with districts, but whatever), why not?

2019 Finnish elections:
SDP (17.73%): 40
PS: (17.48%): 39
KOK (17.00%): 38
Kesk (13.76%): 31
VIHR (11.49%): 20
vas. (8.17%): 9
KD (3.9%): 5
Liike Nyt (2.25%): 1
For Åland (0.38%): 1

NationStates Finnish elections:
KOK (21.74%): 44 (+6)
SDP (21.74%): 44 (+4)
vas. (17.39%): 35 (+26)
PS (13.04%): 26 (-13)
KD (13.04%): 26 (+21)
Kesk (4.35%): 8 (-23)
VIHR (4.35%): 8 (-12)
Liike Nyt (4.35%): 8 (+7)
For Åland NationStates (—): 1 (0 New)

Interpret this however you wish. Uh, as for my analysis, I think NationStates isn’t interested in niche interest centrist parties with no exact Anglo-American counterpart and there is an unsurprising lack of Finnish nationalists. There are also more leftists than in real life, but the center-left and center-right drawing the most support is common in most liberal democracies.

[Shrillland]

Nobody asked for this, but since Finland has PR (well, with districts, but whatever), why not?

2019 Finnish elections:
SDP (17.73%): 40
PS: (17.48%): 39
KOK (17.00%): 38
Kesk (13.76%): 31
VIHR (11.49%): 20
vas. (8.17%): 9
KD (3.9%): 5
Liike Nyt (2.25%): 1
For Åland (0.38%): 1

NationStates Finnish elections:
KOK (21.74%): 44 (+6)
SDP (21.74%): 44 (+4)
vas. (17.39%): 35 (+26)
PS (13.04%): 26 (-13)
KD (13.04%): 26 (+21)
Kesk (4.35%): 8 (-23)
VIHR (4.35%): 8 (-12)
Liike Nyt (4.35%): 8 (+7)
For Åland NationStates (—): 1 (0 New)

Interpret this however you wish. Uh, as for my analysis, I think NationStates isn’t interested in niche interest centrist parties with no exact Anglo-American counterpart and there is an unsurprising lack of Finnish nationalists. There are also more leftists than in real life, but the center-left and center-right drawing the most support is common in most liberal democracies.

Yeah, it's just NSG being NSG. Right now, I'm wondering how this Ekpa mess is going to affect Orpo's and KOK's campaign. Having a Biafran militia leader in your midst voting on road budgets like nothing's happening's got to be embarrassing.

[Shrillland]

Not too much for the election itself today, but a fortnight-long porters strike is about to end, just as a three-day strike for cleaners and real estate workers may be imminent