Government and Opposition -lehden artikkeli perussuomalaisista

[Roope]

Government and Opposition has been a leading international journal of comparative politics for over 40 years. Its distinctive voice amongst politics journals has ensured a large, worldwide circulation. Government and Opposition's interests include:

    * developments in the theory and practice of democracy, including significant elections
    * the evolution of political parties, and the consequences of new political challenges for governments and oppositions
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David Arter: The Breakthrough of Another West European Populist Radical Right Party? The Case of the True Finns

Cochrane and Nevitte go further in viewing the PS as a 'far-right anti-immigrant party'. Significantly, the Minister for Immigration and Europe, Astrid Thors (Swedish People's Party), has expressed the fear that the PS is developing into a racist party, displaying similar features to other Nordic radical right parties and indeed is in contact with them. In light of these claims, this article seeks to characterize the PS on the basis of its core ideological features and asks: (1) Is it a populist party? (2) Is it a populist radical right party?
...
It is argued that the PS is indeed a populist radical right party – with Finnishness (suomalaisuus) as its pre-eminent concept – albeit one (thus far) lacking the xenophobic extremism of the likes of the Austrian Freedom Party or the Danish People's Party.

The Social Democrat Paavo Lipponen's so-called 'rainbow coalition', formed in 1995, also comprised the post-communist Left Alliance, Swedish People's Party, Greens (until 2002) and the Conservatives! The PS emerged in no small to measure to challenge this consensus. As Soini, its leader, put it at the time: 'In Finland you can hold any opinion you like, except a different one'!

It will be recalled that ethno-nationalism or nativism – that is, strengthening the nation by making it ethnically homogeneous – has been viewed as the ultimate determinant of membership of the populist radical right party family. In practice, in the globalized world of the new millennium, the threat to the homogeneity of the nation has come principally from the free movement of peoples and, as Ivarsflaten has observed, the grievances uniting all successful populist right parties have been those arising from Europe's ongoing immigration crisis. On the face of it, the party's stance on the immigration question has been moderate, at least at the rhetorical level. Soini has not resorted to the xenophobic extremism of the likes of the late Haider, insisting before the 2007 general election that demonizing other social groups and stirring racial hatred involved kicking the weak and that he did not want a victory at any price. The 2009 European Parliament election manifesto, moreover, held that whilst the 'old Finnish parties', plus the Greens, support a significant increase in the number of immigrants to meet the so-called labour shortage, the PS favours a responsible immigration policy. Equally, the PS has undoubtedly attracted racist elements, both candidates and voters. During the 2003 general election, Halme used the kind of racist and homophobic language commonly associated with the radical right whilst at the 2008 local election Jussi Halla-aho, standing as an Independent on the PS list for Helsinki, attracted considerable notoriety – as well as a sizeable vote – following his idiosyncratic characterization of Muslim attitudes. Moreover, despite his moderate leadership style, 40 per cent of respondents in a Suomen Gallup poll before the 2008 local election viewed Soini as either 'openly racist' (12 per cent) or 'a racist who tries to hide it in public' (28 per cent).

The 2009 European Parliament election campaign triggered a debate about immigration for really the first time in Finland, during which a number of controversial views from high-profile politicians were expressed and a concerted attempt made by the other parties to tar the PS with the racist brush. It is highly doubtful if the PS could continue to grow as a blatantly (Danish-style) racist party and the recruitment of both sufficient, and as importantly suitable, candidates for the 2011 general election will be vital to its continuing success.

Mikä tuo gallup Soinin rasistisuudesta 2008 kunnallisvaalien alla on? En muista sellaista, eikä Googlekaan löydä.

[M.]

40 per cent of respondents in a Suomen Gallup poll before the 2008 local election viewed Soini as either 'openly racist' (12 per cent) or 'a racist who tries to hide it in public' (28 per cent).

Miten on mahdollista olla samanaikaisesti avoimesti rasisti ja rasisti, joka yrittää peittää rasisminsa? Pahaa pelkään, että tämä kysely lähinnä heijastaa vain ihmisten erilaisia käsityksiä rasismista eikä niinkään Soinin toimintaa itsessään.

[svobo]

12% vastanneista piti Soinia avoimen rasistisena, 28% piilorasistina.

Tiedostavaiston mielestä nyt kaikki sellaiset ovat rasisteja, jotka ehdottavat minkään sortin tiukennuksia tai seuloja maahanmuuttoon, ja turha siitä on väitellä, rasisti olet ja rasistina pysyt. Eikä sellaiseen väittelyyn mielestäni pidäkään alistua, koska silloin jo ikään kuin osoittaa, että ko. suvaitsevaisen väite olisi jotenkin sillä tavalla kohtuullinen, että siitä voidaan keskutella. Rasismisyytökseen ei tarvitse vastata mitään.

[Topelius]

Kuulostaa kaikin puolin todella erikoiselta, etten sanoisi hämärältä gallupilta.

[Roope]

Aika erikoinen ja salainen gallup, johon ei tarjota artikkelissa mitään viitettä. Toisaalta siitä löytyy tällainen viite, joka ainakin minun silmissäni kyseenalaistaa kirjoittajan asiantuntemuksen:

For a good discussion of the facts and figures on immigration in Finland, see Mervi Virtanen, 'Maahanmuuton faktat tiedettävä', Helsingin Sanomat, 17 August 2009.

Mervi Virtasen diibadaaba Hesarin mielipidesivuilla: Maahanmuuton faktat tiedettävä

...ja Sampo Terhon julkaisematon vastine: Välttämätön vastine

[Miniluv]

Mikä tuo gallup Soinin rasistisuudesta 2008 kunnallisvaalien alla on? En muista sellaista, eikä Googlekaan löydä.

Laittakaa mailia ja kysykää

[MaisteriT]

Mikä tuo gallup Soinin rasistisuudesta 2008 kunnallisvaalien alla on? En muista sellaista, eikä Googlekaan löydä.

Laittakaa mailia ja kysykää

Minusta kirjoittaja näytti päättäneen, että perussuomalaisten äänestäjät ovat rasisteja. Oli tuon gallupin tulos tuollainen tai ei, mitä väliä.

Jutussa oli paljon rumia retorisia vetoja.