Antti ‘Jogi’ Poikola speech in the Green Party Council meeting, February 28th
What do the Left Alliance, the Social Democrats, the National Coalition Party, and the Finns Party have in common?
They have all increased the share of candidates with a foreign background in parliamentary elections between 2011 and 2023. Other parties – the Greens included – have not.
Over 11% of Finland’s population has a foreign background. In parliamentary elections, voting requires Finnish citizenship, so the share among eligible voters is smaller – 3.2%. But even that has more than doubled since 2011. This voter group grows with every election.
In 2011, the Greens had 9 candidates with a foreign background – about 3.9% of our candidates. That was double the share of, say, the Left Alliance. We were trailblazers.
In 2023, we had just 6 candidates with a foreign background – 2.8%. Meanwhile, the Left Alliance has raised its share to 7.4%.
Image: The share of foreign background voters has more than doubled between 2011 and 2023 elections, while the share of green candidates have dropped at the same time – this has to change now.
A growing, young, urban population is looking for a party that looks and sounds like their Finland. If we are not that party, someone else will be. And as the numbers show – someone else already is.
I propose that in the 2027 parliamentary elections, the Greens must have at least 15 candidates with a foreign background. That is more than double compared to 2023 – and the least you can expect from a party that wants to represent all of Finland.
Additionally, every Green candidate should have at least one person with a foreign background in their support team.
Green Sisu is ready to help achieve these goals!