Finnish Social Democrats travel to United States to support Kamala Harris’s election campaign
Next week, nearly thirty members of Finland’s Social Democratic Party (SDP) will travel to the United States to support Kamala Harris’s election campaign. Among them is Maria Tolppanen, a local politician and former Member of Parliament from Vaasa, who believes that such a trip has never been made from Finland before.
The Finnish Democrats will canvas door-to-door in Boston, aiming to engage apathetic voters. “We aim to instill confidence in so-called reliable voters while trying to entice the undecided to vote for Harris,” says Tolppanen. Among the undecided are many young women, who Tolppanen believes could become Harris supporters due to her strong stance on abortion rights. Additionally, there are African American and Arab communities, where men traditionally dominate voting decisions.
“There’s a challenge in many communities where women don’t usually vote. It’s crucial to get women to the polls for Harris, as this could result in votes that might otherwise be absent,” she estimates.
The first voting in the presidential election will take place on November 5, although the winner won’t be determined immediately.
Tolppanen expresses hope that Harris will win, describing her as the “peace president” and contrasting her with Donald Trump, whom she sees as the “war president.” She questions how someone under criminal investigation can run for president.
When asked if Finnish support for Harris could affect U.S.-Finnish relations should Trump win, she remains skeptical, noting their contribution to the campaign is minimal.
The trip is also seen as a learning opportunity to gain insights into larger-scale election strategies. Tolppanen reflects on the small size of Finnish political campaign budgets in comparison to American standards, expressing a desire for greater enthusiasm in Finnish campaign efforts. The trip is partly funded out-of-pocket, with local political organizations also providing support. Participants include regular party activists involved in election work in Finland.