Freedom Alliance (Finland)
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Freedom Alliance Vapauden liitto | |
|---|---|
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| Abbreviation | VL |
| Chairperson | Ossi Tiihonen |
| Secretary | Lasse Paananen |
| Vice-Chairpeople | Heli Rämäkkö Niko A. Kauko Pekka Timonen |
| Split from | VKK |
| Headquarters | Antinkatu 3D, 00100 Helsinki |
| Ideology | National conservatism Right-wing populism |
| Political position | Right-wing to far-right |
| Colours | Yellow |
| Eduskunta | 0 / 200 |
| Municipalities | 17 / 8,859 |
| County seats | 6 / 1,379 |
| Website | |
| vapaudenliitto | |
The Freedom Alliance, abbr. VL (Finnish: Vapauden Liitto), is a Finnish registered party. The party received the required 5,000 signatures on 19 April 2022[1] and was registered on 6 May 2022.[2]
Background
The background of several key people in the party is the Power Belongs to the People (VKK) party, led by Ano Turtiainen. Ossi Tiihonen, the chairman of the Freedom Alliance, was one of the prominent members of the VKK, and Cia Grönberg, the party secretary, was the director of VKK's membership in the 2022 regional elections.
All members and officials could not accept VKK's views on Russia's invasion of Ukraine in the spring of 2022. The position of the VKK was relatively pro-Russian and pro-Putin.[3] According to Turtiainen, the reason was not related to appeasing Russia, but to the characteristics of the people who left the party: they were self-interested, the structure of the VKK was designed to prevent it, and the party conflict in the VKK disappeared with them.[4]
Elections
The party ran in the 2023 parliamentary election but won no seats.[5] The party intended to run in the 2024 Finnish presidential election with Saara Huhtasaari as their candidate,[6] but was unable to gather enough support for registration.
Party Ideology
The party is strictly against the European Union, proclaiming it to be a lawless, communist and blaming it for problems of Finland and wishes for Finland to leave the EU. The Freedom Alliance is also strictly against NATO and any alliances or relations with the United States, proclaiming the US to be a military and geopolitical pawn, who is crushing Finland's sovereignty.[7] The party is also anti-green and believes that climate change is a myth and that the EU is at the fore-front of what they call, "climate fanaticism", which the party states is only made to hurt the Finnish people.[8] The Freedom Alliance also against any sanctions against Russia and Finland is "shooting themselves in their foot", they deny being for the Russian Invasion of Ukraine and even affiliated with Russia, instead they say the removal of sanctions is for national interests.[9]
The party proclaims to be for broad freedom of speech, increasing direct democracy, the removal of mandatory Swedish at schools, VAT and the reduction of taxes for entrepreneurs. Along with this they wish to reinstate the Finnish markka and increase Finland's self-sufficiency and wishes to remove incitement to ethnic or racial hatred from the criminal code. They also wish to allow Finns to choose their own healthcare provider and wants Finland to limit immigration, but only with the limitation of non-work-based immigration.[10]
Election results
Parliament of Finland
| Election | Votes | % | Seats | +/- | Government |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 27,526 | 0.89% | 0 / 200
|
New | Extra-parliamentary |
References
- ^ "Vapauden liitto -puoluehanke sai puoluerekisteriin tarvittavat kannatusilmoitukset". Yle Uutiset. April 19, 2022.
- ^ "Puoluerekisteri.fi". puoluerekisteri.fi.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "VKK:n rivit rakoilevat: Ano Turtiaisen Venäjä-puheet, autoritaarinen johtajuus ja uskonnolliset kannanotot ajavat pois puolueesta". Yle Uutiset. April 11, 2022.
- ^ "19 kansanedustajaehdokasta nimetty".
- ^ "Presidentinvaalit". Vapauden liitto r.p. (in Finnish). Retrieved 2023-09-22.
- ^ "Pelasta Suomi globalistien kynsistä". Vapauden liitto r.p. (in Finnish). 2023-03-23. Retrieved 2023-09-22.
- ^ "Irti vihreästä vääristymästä". Vapauden liitto r.p. (in Finnish). 2023-03-21. Retrieved 2023-09-22.
- ^ "Ajatuksiani pakotepolitiikasta". Vapauden liitto r.p. (in Finnish). 2022-05-07. Retrieved 2023-09-22.
- ^ "Puolueohjelma | Vapauden liitto". Vapauden liitto r.p. (in Finnish). Retrieved 2023-09-22.