Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo launches anti-racism campaign “We Speak with Actions” inviting organizations and cities

Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo launched an anti-racism campaign on Tuesday, inviting various stakeholders, including businesses and organizations, to participate. The initiative, titled “We Speak with Actions,” emphasizes commitments to concrete actions that promote equality and combat racism. The government has pledged its support, and the implementation of these commitments will be monitored through various metrics.

As of Wednesday afternoon, 18 organizations have signed on to the campaign, including the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Akava, SAK, the Finnish Red Cross, and the Finnish Olympic Committee, with cities like Helsinki and Kuopio on board as well. Most of these organizations have already made specific commitments.

However, the absence of the Finns Party from the campaign has sparked questions. The initiative is linked to a report submitted to Parliament last fall addressing anti-racism measures. According to Orpo, this campaign is a crucial part of the actions agreed upon in that report, which was prompted by the emergence of past racist comments from Finns Party ministers during the summer of the previous year.

Following the launch, Finns Party leader Riikka Purra expressed skepticism about the party participating as a whole. She indicated that while the party supports the report approved last year, it is unlikely to formally back the specific actions outlined in the anti-racism campaign.

Orpo had expressed hope before the campaign’s launch that all parties would join in. However, it remains unclear if other government parties will formally commit to the campaign. Currently, no political party from either the government or the opposition has officially joined the initiative, with opposition parties like Liike Nyt initially considering participation but later withdrawing in light of the Finns Party’s position. Meanwhile, other parties, including the SDP and the Greens, have stated they won’t be taking part, citing their daily commitment to anti-racism work.