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This presents, in a simplified and condensed form, my argument about the differences between rural and urban Finns Party candidates and shows the party in the context of a particularly Finnish political culture, analyzed via Laurent Thévenot's justification theory. Presentation based on my Master's dissertation. Presented 18th December 2012 in a seminar "On Populism and Politics" by the Finnish Political Science Association.
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Tuukka Ylä-Anttila / University of Helsinki
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What is Finnishabout the Finns Party?
Political Culture and Populism
18.12.2012
Tuukka Ylä-Anttila / University of Helsinki
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Introduction
• Argument– “Mainline” (SMP) vs. “Halla-aho
faction”
• Question: Geographical rural/urban division?
• Hypothesis:– Rural PS “classical rural populism”
(Ionescu & Gellner 1969, Canovan 1982…)
–Urban PS “contemporary radical right (populism)” (Mudde 2007, Hainsworth 2008, Eatwell 2003…)
18.12.2012
Tuukka Ylä-Anttila / University of Helsinki
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Theoretical framework
• Politics in a cultural context• Justification theory (Boltanski &
Thévenot 2006)• Public Justifications Analysis (PJA)
(Luhtakallio & Ylä-Anttila 2011)– Public justification is raising the level of
generality of an argument by appealing to a universal value
– Different political cultures do this differently• Finland: Efficiency!
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Tuukka Ylä-Anttila / University of Helsinki
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Examples• Case: Consolidating municipal
administrations for efficiency (kuntaliitokset).– Locals:
• No way! It’s our home with our traditions, where our ancestors lived.
• No way! We need small-scale administrations to uphold local democracy.
• No way! Your calculations are flawed, there would be no savings.– Typically Finnish! (Luhtakallio & Ylä-Anttila 2011)
• No way! We don’t like it. We will defend our interests.– Not justifying: Not very successful in institutionalized
politics, especially in Finland (Lonkila 2011, Luhtakallio 2012)
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Tuukka Ylä-Anttila / University of Helsinki
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Data: HS VAA (Vaalikone)
• Helsingin Sanomat Voting Advice Application (HS VAA), Vaalikone– 31 questions, calculates a compatibility
percentage– free-text comments
• 85% response rate (free-text, PS parliamentary candidates 2011)– 7 of 31 questions, ~200 double-spaced
A4 sheets
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Analysis I: EconomicRedistribution and Social Justice
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Tuukka Ylä-Anttila / University of Helsinki
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Quotes
“Some have money up to their necks [”rahaa kuin roskaa”] while others struggle from week to week in food handout queues.” (M, 27, Kurikka, rural)
“I don’t see differences in incomes as a signal of injustice as such. The problem is not that some earn plenty, but that in lower income classes working doesn’t pay off because of taxation and because of income redistribution funded by taxes. Working should always and in all circumstances be profitable. I believe it is good that a person can get wealthy by honest work […] This should not be prevented by unduly hard taxation.” (M, 39, Helsinki, urban)
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Analysis III: Globalization
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Tuukka Ylä-Anttila / University of Helsinki
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Quotes
”Here we are again supporting porker banks and their henchmen [”syöttöporsaspankkeja ja niiden takapiruja”]. Cannot go on like this.” (M, 56, Salo, urban)
“Bailout package policy is not just ethically wrong, it is also bad economic policy. [...] Greece should have been let go bankrupt, which it eventually will anyway.” (M, 24, Espoo, urban)
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So far…
• “Rationalizing” justifications based on (economic) efficiency typical of Finnish politics: “This is the most efficient option, thus best.”
• Also ”people vs. elite” populist dichotomies• Urban right-wing market liberalist faction• Rural respondents favour populist justification
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How about these quotes about Suvivirsi?
“If Finns have to look at the religious dress of muslims and the subordination of women under the guise of religion, so we can without worry sing suvivirsi once a year! IS THIS QUESTION SOME SORT OF JOKE???” (F, 53, Helsinki, urban)
“Totally unbelievable that someone would even question this.” (M, 57, Espoo, urban)
“Give me a break!! [“No huh huh!!”]” (M, 45, Kouvola, urban)
• Are these candidates attempting to “justify their position by appealing to a common, universal value the other party of the dispute can acknowledge”?
…No.
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Tuukka Ylä-Anttila / University of Helsinki
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”Commonplaces”
• Something of their own has been insulted– Limits of justification
• ”Cultural commonplaces” (Thévenot 2011)• Feeling of belonging• This is typical of populism!
– ”Kyllä kansa tietää”– ”At last a party that speaks straight about things”
• Gap between populist politicians and established mainstream politicians: they speak different languages (or use different grammars of commonality (Thévenot))– The idea of politics as rational public discussion to reach
consensus is challenged
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Tuukka Ylä-Anttila / University of Helsinki
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Conclusions
• Rural/urban division:– Most rural candidates and many urban candidates seem even
left-populist on economic policy– Radical right-wing faction consists of urban (male!)
candidates
• Justification:– In the Finnish context, even populists tend to ”rationalize”– However, in nationalist populist argumentation, public
justifications are thrown aside and there are emotional appeals to cultural commonplaces. This is a real challenge to consensus.
• Analyzing populism with a justification theory framework needs much further thought but can be fruitful, I argue.
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Bibliography• Boltanski, Luc & Thévenot, Laurent 2006: On Justification: Economies of Worth.
Princeton University Press.• Borg, Sami (ed.) 2012: Muutosvaalit 2011. Oikeusministeriön selvityksiä ja ohjeita
16/2012. Oikeusministeriö (Ministry of Justice).• Lonkila, Markku 2011: Yhteisyyden kieliopit helsinkiläisessä ja pietarilaisessa
kaupunkiaktivismissa. Sosiologia 48(1), 22–33.• Luhtakallio, Eeva 2012: Practicing Democracy. Local Activism and Politics in France
and Finland. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.• Luhtakallio, Eeva & Ylä-Anttila, Tuomas 2011: Julkisen oikeuttamisen analyysi
sosiologisena tutkimusmenetelmänä. Sosiologia 48(1), 34–51.• Rahkonen, Juho 2011: Perussuomalaisten ruumiinavaus. Onko työväen protestipuolueen
kannatus saavuttanut vielä ylärajaansa? Yhteiskuntapolitiikka 76(4), 425–435.• Thévenot, Laurent 2011a: Oikeutettavuuden rajat. Yhteiselämää koossapitävät sidokset
ja niiden väärinkäyttö. Sosiologia 48(1), 7–21.• Thévenot, Laurent 2011b: Power and oppression from the perspective of the sociology
of engagements: a comparison with Bourdieu’s and Dewey’s critical approaches to practical activities. Irish Journal of Sociology 19(1), 35–67.
• Wiberg, Matti (ed.) 2011: Populismi. Kriittinen arvio. Helsinki: Edita.• Ylä-Anttila, Tuukka 2012: What is Finnish about The Finns Party? Political Culture and
Populism. Master’s thesis, University of Helsinki.
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