Finland’s Prime Minister Petteri Orpo launches anti-racism campaign amid criticism

Finland’s Prime Minister Petteri Orpo launched an anti-racism campaign on Tuesday, which has since drawn criticism and raised questions. Following the campaign’s initiation, Riikka Purra, the leader of the right-wing Finns Party, stated during her parliamentary group’s summer meeting that her party would not participate in the initiative at all.

The campaign is linked to a report presented to Parliament last autumn concerning anti-racism actions, a report largely prompted by the Finns Party’s positions. The initiative aims to involve communities, businesses, organizations, and groups; however, enthusiasm for the campaign has been somewhat muted. By Wednesday evening, only 18 organizations had committed to the campaign, and according to its website, no political party had yet joined.

Prime Minister Orpo addressed the campaign and its reception during an appearance on Yle’s A-studio on Thursday evening. The program can be viewed live on TV1 at 9:05 PM, on Yle Areena, or through this article. Further updates will follow.