Tampere council’s small opposition dominates debates with high number of speeches

A small opposition group in Tampere’s city council has delivered more speeches than much larger factions, with the Finns Party’s four-member group ranking second in total speaking time, public broadcaster Yle reports.

According to council meeting records obtained by Yle, the Finns Party’s Juho Hirvelä has given 54 speeches this term—more than the combined total of all Christian Democrat and Centre Party councillors. Only the Social Democrats (SDP), the largest group with 20 members, have spoken more frequently.

Hirvelä, chair of the Finns Party’s council group, attributed the high number of speeches to defending himself against accusations. “I’ve had to respond to various claims,” he told Yle earlier.

The data covers the first ten meetings of the current term, which began in June 2025. After Hirvelä, the most active speakers include fellow Finns Party member Joakim Vigelius and SDP group chair Johanna Loukaskorpi.

Of Tampere’s 66 councillors, 41 have given fewer than ten speeches so far. Three—Leena Kostiainen (National Coalition), Ronny Holmqvist (Swedish People’s Party), and Erika Skön (Centre)—have not spoken at all.

The council’s presiding board will hold a cross-party discussion in June to address disruptive behaviour, as debates have grown increasingly heated. Chair Kalervo Kummola (National Coalition) has pledged stricter enforcement of speaking rules, though he acknowledged balancing free debate with order is challenging.

“We’ve had to cut off a microphone once, and even that caused an uproar,” Kummola said. Deputy chair Julia Sangervo (Greens) suggested further limits on speaking time may be needed.