A group of former members of the Finnish Party is currently creating a new political party, named in honor of the far-right party from the 1930s and 1940s.
Former members of the populist party register under the name of the association "Blue and black" (Blue-black) in December.
The news agency Uutissuomalainen says that the association has started collecting the necessary 5,000 signatures, which are required to register as a political party.
The association, which has described itself as nationalist, has former members of the Finnish party as well as people who left the youth wing of the party after its disintegration over the ethno-nationalist members.
It has leading figures who have been involved in Finnish party politics, including Terhi Kiemunki who was convicted of inciting ethnic hatred in 2016.
He then remained a member of the Finnish Party, but was dismissed at the beginning of 2017 due to inconsistencies in spending requirements. He remained a candidate in the local elections that year on the independent list of the Finnish party and became deputy councilor after receiving 348 votes.
Colors associated with the interwar far right movement
The domain associated with the new party will be registered on Wednesday by the company to which it was linked Piia Kattelus-Kilpeläinen, adviser to the Finnish party and police in Seinäjoki.
The employer is currently investigating Kattelus-Kilpeläinen’s social media message, in which she dressed in black and blue and waved an ax.
The story continues after the picture.
Black and blue are the colors in the Lapuan Movement, a far-right movement from the interwar year that attempted a coup in 1932.
After the coup attempt, the members of the organization were filtered into the IKL, a fascist party with members of parliament in parliament and sometimes in government, until it was banned in 1944 as part of Finland’s conciliation agreement with the Soviet Union.
“Not surprising”
Vesa VaresThe professor of modern history at the University of Turku told Yle News that the birth of a new group was "not surprising" because they needed a base far from the Finnish party they were trying to become "more acceptable" in the eyes of other parties.
"The Finns party has previously been a political home for those who have also been at the extremes and who have had no other choice," Vares said. " [Finns] the party has been reluctant to be very strict against them because they do not want to lose those votes."
However, Vares added that he believes the group will have difficulty collecting the 5,000 signatures needed as a political party because of the past.
"The Blue Blacks were IKL’s youth organization, and because IKL’s reputation was so fascist in the 1930s and has remained so, the founders need to know that they are now being accused of fascism," The crow explained.
"Despite this, they have decided to use this name. Everyone can draw at least some conclusions from it, even though it is still clear what their party program looks like," he added.