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Freedom Alliance (Finland)

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Freedom Alliance
Vapauden liitto (Finnish)
AbbreviationVL
ChairpersonOssi Tiihonen
SecretaryLasse Paananen
Vice-ChairpeopleHeli Rämäkkö
Niko A. Kauko
Pekka Timonen
FoundedFebruary 2022 (2022-02)[1]
Split fromPower Belongs to the People
HeadquartersAntinkatu 3D, 00100 Helsinki
IdeologyNational conservatism
Right-wing populism
Euroscepticism
Paasikivi-Kekkonen doctrine
Direct democracy
Political positionRight-wing to far-right
Colours  Yellow
  White[2]
Eduskunta
0 / 200
European Parliament
0 / 15
Municipalities
17 / 8,859
County seats
6 / 1,379
Website
vapaudenliitto.fi Edit this at Wikidata

The Freedom Alliance (Finnish: Vapauden Liitto, VL),[3][4] is a right-wing populist registered political party in Finland.[5] The party was founded by Ossi Tiihonen [fi] as a result of a split from the Power Belongs to the People (VKK) party in February 2022,[6] receiving 5,000 signatures on 19 April 2022, and being later registered on 6 May 2022.[7][8]

Background

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The Freedom Alliance was founded by influential members of the Power Belongs to the People (VKK) party following a party split related to the Russian Federation and Vladimir Putin,[9] alongside the leadership style and organization of the political party and the religiosity of the party.[10]

Ossi Tiihonen, who founded the Freedom Alliance, is a regional councilor for Lohja and a former member of the Finns Party and the VKK.[10] Cia Grönborg, the former party secretary of VL, and Heli Rämäkkö, a vice-chairwoman of the VL, were both influential members of the VKK and have worked as a regional councilors for Espoo and Seinäjoki, respectively. They later left the VKK due to the leadership style and what they perceived as authoritarianism and the apparent lack of freedom to criticize the party leadership under Ano Turtiainen.[10] Turtiainen accused the splitters of being only self-interested.[10]

Ideology

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Foreign Policy

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The Freedom Alliance advocates for Finland to leave the European Union and condemns the EU as being anti-democratic, globalist and elitist.[11] The Freedom Alliance is also against NATO and the United States, proclaiming that cooperation with the United States has made Finland a satellite state.[12][13] The party can be described as against transatlanticism, instead wishing for the return to the Paasikivi–Kekkonen doctrine.[14] Despite the opposition to the European Union, the Freedom Alliance wishes to promote European and international cooperation.[15]

The party promotes conspiratorial ideas, denying the existence of climate change, claiming that the European Union is "force-feeding harmful green ideology, which the Finnish MEPs cast their green plagues on the Finnish people."[16] The Freedom Alliance is against what they describe to be the "neoliberal New World Order", in which the "EU-virus" is promoting mass immigration, gender diversity, and "men who give birth."[17][18]

The Freedom Alliance is against the sanctions on the Russian Federation for their territorial conquests, stating it to be hypocritical, illogical and emotional.[19] The party believes that Ukraine is a proxy client state of the United States, and that Ukraine is oppressing its Russian-speaking population, suppressing its peoples' freedom of speech and political power.[20][21]

Political programs

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The Freedom Alliance describes itself as a individualist and localist party.[22] The party is in favour of what it describes as "bringing back" freedom of speech, and the party promotes classical liberal ideas in relation to society, stating the need for various freedoms.[note 1] The party also believes in the right to privacy, opposing the proposed European Digital Identity.[15] In relation to healthcare, the party wishes to promote freedom to choose healthcare provider, either private or public, the party also wishes to give unemployed jobseekers the right to a free health check-up, and to invest into healthcare services for the elderly and caregivers.[15] The party wishes to promote direct democracy, however in order to achieve that wishes to promote education and enlightenment about state affairs, especially in relation to the Constitution of Finland.[23]

The party wishes to abolish Forced Swedish in schooling and believes in freedom of choice in language learning. The Freedom Alliance believes that Finland is a trilingual country, and that people should have the right get services in the official national languages, alongside in the Sámi languages.[24]

The party wishes to stop non-work-based immigration, however still wishes to allow humanitarian immigrants or asylum seekers, the party states it will perform a mass deportation of illegal immigrants and re-examine the application of every accepted refugee.[25] The party also opposes affirmative action, and wishes to "rationalize" violation of religious peace [fi] laws, and remove incitement to ethnic or racial hatred from the criminal code.[15]

The Freedom Alliance in relation to the Finnish economy, wishes to reinstate the markka as the sole currency to promote national economic growth,[26] promote self-sufficiency in order to keep the welfare state, as according to the party it is incompatible with the European Union. The Freedom Alliance also supports independent free trade, separate from the European Union. The party wishes to lower the value-added tax (VAT) to 15 percent, lower taxation of domestic food and food production, expand mining jobs, especially promote self-sufficiency in relation to agriculture and energy, wishes to renew the pension insurance system. [15]

Controversy

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The Freedom Alliance has been described as pro-Russian,[27][28] though the party's vice chair has rejected the label.[29] Another point of controversy is the party's support for the candidacy of Juha Korhonen, a media entrepreneur known to be a supporter of the Nordic Resistance Movement,[30][31][32] a domestic terrorist group.[33] Junes Lokka, a candidate in the European Parliament elections and a town councillor for the Freedom Alliance, who has been sentenced two times for incitement against an ethnic group,[34] and is known to have attended Nordic Resistance Movement events.[35]

Election results

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The party ran in the 2023 parliamentary election in an electoral alliance with the Crystal Party and Finnish People First,[36] but won no seats.[37] The party supported the candidacy of Saara Huhtasaari in the 2024 Finnish presidential election,[38] but was unable to gather enough support for registration. The party nominated candidates for the 2024 European Parliament election,[39] notably including Teuvo Hakkarainen,[40] a member of the European Parliament who was expelled from the Finns Party due to his affiliation with the Freedom Alliance.[41][42]

Parliament of Finland

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Election Votes % Seats +/- Government
2023 27,526 0.89%
0 / 200
 New Extra-parliamentary

European Parliament

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Election Votes % Seats +/– EP Group
2024 16,717 0.91 (#9)
0 / 15
 New –

References

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Notes

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  1. ^ The various freedoms it describes are; freedom of movement, freedom of speech, freedom of opinion, freedom of ownership, freedom of enterprise, freedom of religion, freedom of political association, freedom to choose healthcare provider, freedom to decide independently about our bodies.

References

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  1. ^ "Vapauden liitto syntyy". Vapauden liitto r.p. (in Finnish). 2022-02-27. Retrieved 2024-08-09.
  2. ^ "Logo ja graafiset ohjeet | Vapauden liitto". Vapauden liitto r.p. (in Finnish). Retrieved 2024-05-18.
  3. ^ "Säännöt | Vapauden liitto". Vapauden liitto r.p. (in Finnish). Retrieved 2024-08-09.
  4. ^ "Puolueiden nimet ja lyhenteet". Kielitoimiston ohjepankki. Kotimaisten kielten keskus. 14 September 2023. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
  5. ^ "The impact of the Russia–Ukraine war on right-wing populism in Finland - ECPS". 2023-03-05. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  6. ^ "VKK:n rivit rakoilevat: Ano Turtiaisen Venäjä-puheet, autoritaarinen johtajuus ja uskonnolliset kannanotot ajavat pois puolueesta". Yle Uutiset (in Finnish). 2022-04-11. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  7. ^ "Vapauden liitto -puoluehanke sai puoluerekisteriin tarvittavat kannatusilmoitukset". Yle Uutiset. April 19, 2022.
  8. ^ "Puoluerekisteri.fi". puoluerekisteri.fi.
  9. ^ Nikula, Jouni (April 15, 2022). "Puoluejohtaja Ano Turtiaisen Venäjä-myötäily on aiheuttanut hermoilua VKK:ssa – Keskipohjalaiset VKK-vaikuttajat kiistävät rivien rakoilun: "Meihin on liittynyt perussuomalaisten valtuutettuja viime viikkoina", sanoo veteliläinen Jarno Vähäkainu". KPK.
  10. ^ a b c d "VKK:n rivit rakoilevat: Ano Turtiaisen Venäjä-puheet, autoritaarinen johtajuus ja uskonnolliset kannanotot ajavat pois puolueesta". Yle Uutiset. April 11, 2022.
  11. ^ "Pelasta Suomi globalistien kynsistä". Vapauden liitto r.p. (in Finnish). 2023-03-23. Retrieved 2023-09-22.
  12. ^ "NATOKUUME SAI SUOMI-NEIDON JÄRJILTÄÄN". Vapauden liitto r.p. (in Finnish). 2023-12-10. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  13. ^ "DCA-sopimuksella Suomi-neidosta tehtiin USA:n marionetti". Vapauden liitto r.p. (in Finnish). 2023-12-22. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  14. ^ "Vapauden liitto ajaa perinteistä puolueettomuuspolitiikkaa". Vapauden liitto r.p. (in Finnish). 2023-11-12. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  15. ^ a b c d e "Puolueohjelma | Vapauden liitto". Vapauden liitto r.p. (in Finnish). Retrieved 2023-09-22.
  16. ^ "Irti vihreästä vääristymästä". Vapauden liitto r.p. (in Finnish). 2023-03-21. Retrieved 2023-09-22.
  17. ^ "SUOMI ON VAARASSA KUOLLA EUROOPAN MUKANA". Vapauden liitto r.p. (in Finnish). 2024-04-30. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  18. ^ "Matti Simola 108". Vapauden liitto r.p. (in Finnish). 2023-02-19. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  19. ^ "Ajatuksiani pakotepolitiikasta". Vapauden liitto r.p. (in Finnish). 2022-05-07. Retrieved 2023-09-22.
  20. ^ "Historian kalleimmat kakut jaettiin Ukrainassa". Vapauden liitto r.p. (in Finnish). 2024-03-11. Retrieved 2024-05-16.
  21. ^ Tiihonen, Kirjoittaja Ossi (2022-03-02). "Ei Venäjää Ukrainaan, ei Natoa Suomeen". Ossi Tiihonen (in Finnish). Retrieved 2024-05-16.
  22. ^ Toimitus (2024-03-11). "Vapauden liitto määritteli itsensä lokalistipuolueeksi - Ossi Tiihonen jatkaa puheenjohtajana". Vastaan Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  23. ^ "Puolueohjelma | Vapauden liitto". Vapauden liitto r.p. (in Finnish). Retrieved 2024-09-28.
  24. ^ "Puolueohjelma | Vapauden liitto". Vapauden liitto r.p. (in Finnish). Retrieved 2024-09-28.
  25. ^ "Puolueohjelma | Vapauden liitto". Vapauden liitto r.p. (in Finnish). Retrieved 2024-09-28.
  26. ^ "Smaller parties fail to make parliamentary breakthrough". News. 2023-04-03. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  27. ^ "Suomalainen äärioikeisto on jakautunut kolmeen eri ryhmään – yksi niistä toivoo vallitsevan järjestelmän romahdusta". Voima. 28 July 2024.
  28. ^ "Syvän päädyn pienpuoluekenttä meni uusiksi – näillä salaliitoilla pärjäsi nyt vaaleissa parhaiten". Demokraatti. 27 July 2024.
  29. ^ "Ajatuksiani pakotepolitiikasta". Vapauden liitto r.p. (in Finnish). 2022-05-07. Retrieved 2023-09-22.
  30. ^ "Valheenpaljastaja: Internetiin on kaikessa hiljaisuudessa syntynyt Youtuben kaltainen kotimainen kanava, jossa levitetään salaliittoteorioita – tällainen on Tokentube". yle.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 2024-08-05.
  31. ^ Seura (2021-11-14). "Seura tutki: Millaisten saarnaajien ääntä rokotevastustajat ja salaliitto-uskovaiset kuuntelevat?". Seura.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 2024-08-05.
  32. ^ HS, Laura Halminen (2019-12-21). "Valemedia MV-lehden puuhamiehet perustivat "Toimittajaliiton", jonka taustalla on Venäjä-yhteyksistään tunnettu Johan Bäckman". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 2024-08-05.
  33. ^ "Åbo hovrätt upplöser Nordiska motståndsrörelsen i Finland: "Jätteviktig milstolpe"". svenska.yle.fi (in Swedish). 28 September 2018. Retrieved 2024-08-05.
  34. ^ "Junes Lokan kiihotustuomio kansanryhmää vastaan pysyi ennallaan hovioikeudessa". Yle Uutiset (in Finnish). 2020-12-30. Retrieved 2024-08-05.
  35. ^ "Junes Lokalle sakot kiihottamisesta kansanryhmää vastaan". Kaleva (in Finnish). Retrieved 2024-08-05.
  36. ^ "Siikajoelta ehdokas eduskuntavaaleihin – Vapauden liitto, Suomen Kansa Ensin ja Kristallipuolue jättivät täyden yhteislistan eduskuntavaaliehdokkaista Oulun vaalipiirissä". Siikajokilaakso (in Finnish). Retrieved 2024-05-25.
  37. ^ "19 kansanedustajaehdokasta nimetty". 5 May 2022.
  38. ^ "Presidentinvaalit". Vapauden liitto r.p. (in Finnish). Retrieved 2023-09-22.
  39. ^ "Europarlamenttivaalit 2024". Vapauden liitto r.p. (in Finnish). Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  40. ^ "USU: Teuvo Hakkarainen ehdolle EU-vaaleihin vapauden liiton listalta: "Ei minusta tullut kokoomuksen beaglea"". mtvuutiset.fi (in Finnish). 2024-04-30. Retrieved 2024-05-25.
  41. ^ "USU: Teuvo Hakkarainen vaihtoi puoluetta". www.iltalehti.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 2024-05-25.
  42. ^ "PS erotti Hakkaraisen ja Vornasen puolueesta – Hakkarainen: "En tiedä, mitä olen tehnyt"". www.iltalehti.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 2024-05-25.
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