With local elections around the corner on April 18, Yle News will put your questions to party leaders to find out more about where they are in the big issues.
Every week from January 28, we will interview the leaders of one of the Finnish parliamentary parties to find out where they are on the most important issues for you.
Local elections may seem less important than parliamentary ones, but they do matter. Decisions made at the local level can have a real impact on our daily lives.
City councilors decide how to spend your tax money and how much local taxes cost. Their job is to make sure the kindergarten is close by, the snow plow gets into the street, that the parks and sports facilities are well maintained and that the local school has enough staff.
Many of them have work and integration programs that can have a huge impact on the lives of people moving to other parts of Finland.
Most residents can vote
As long as you officially live in Finland, you can probably vote even if you do not have Finnish citizenship.
During the interviews, we will interview all the general managers of the party and we want your questions!
Have you ever wondered why most foreigners don’t vote even if they have the right to vote, how less affluent communities disappear when they are underrepresented, or how it was possible that a typo caused some international students to lose their voting rights? We ask why some foreigners in Finland are struggling to gain a foothold in the labor market, while according to the country it needs more imported labor.
First in the show is Anna-Maja Henriksson, Minister of Justice and leader of the Swedish People ‘s Party (SPP). Four years ago, the party became interested 4.9 percent of the vote nationwide, most supporters in Ostrobothnia (48.1 per cent), Uusimaa (8.4 per cent) and Central Ostrobothnia (7.7 per cent).
Strong in coastal areas, but also with a foothold in Helsinki, the party elected 471 delegates in 2017 from a total of 1,324 candidates. Only 4.2 percent of SPP candidates were unemployed in 2017, the lowest proportion of all major parties, while their candidates had the second highest average annual income, at just over € 45,000.
Use your voice
The majority of foreigners registered in Finland are entitled to vote in the April local elections, and they also have the right to stand as a candidate. Voting turnout in the foreign community is generally very low, with only 19 percent of foreigners exercising their democratic right in the last municipal elections in 2017.
What do you want to ask Henriksson? Let your voice be heard by sharing your questions and voice memos via WhatsApp on +358 44 421 0909 or write to us at [email protected].
Our interview with Anna-Maja Henriksson will be broadcast on the All Points North podcast on January 28th. You can leave questions here.