Greetings, reader!
Yeah, I know, 'supposed to be a movie/TV blog' et cetera. But this was too important and cool not to write about: Finland's municipal elections are next week, and one of my dearest friends, Aaro Viitanen, is running for office in our hometown of Jyväskylä. I've had the honor of working as Aaro's campaign manager for the last several months, and as the campaign draws to a close, I wanted to use this hilariously small platform to try and convince as many of my followers as possible that voting for him is in the interest of any Jyväskylä resident. These are the top 10 reasons why you should strongly consider voting for him next week’s Sunday.
Here are my honorable mentions:
- Getting this guy into the city council could potentially be the start of a promising political career in the long run
- If you're worried about corruption in local politics, you can trust this guy as he has no money tied/invested in anything and isn't generally interested in becoming rich (unlike many politicians)
- Representation for the students, musicians and activist hippies of Jyväskylä
- The fact that I was inspired to work as his campaign manager (and to write this post about him completely unprompted) says a lot, as I'm an excellent judge of character.
- If you don't like Aaro for some reason, voting him into office so that he has to deal with municipal politics would be a fantastic prank
10. Not happy with the current government? Neither is this guy
If you're a Finn and you're happy with the work Petteri Orpo's far-right government is doing - I don't really know what to say to you, good for you I guess. But for the majority of Finns who are not happy with Orpo's government, voting in elections like this one is a great way of counteracting far-right politics and showing that Finland can be better than our cold, racist government is making us out to be.
As Aaro's campaign manager, I can say that opposing the direction that Orpo's government is taking Finland towards has been one of his campaign's central tenets from the beginning. The more you're frustrated by the xenophobia, rampant militarism and cutting-from-those-who-have-the-least demonstrated by Orpo's government, the likelier it is that you'll find solace in Aaro's politics, based on humanity, peace, equality and other respectable standards forgotten by our current leaders.
9. A vote for the candidate is also a vote for the party
I have voted for Finland's Green Party in most elections since I turned 18, and was even a member of the party for a couple of years. However, events in the last few years have caused a shift in my party loyalty, which is why this year the more left-wing Vasemmistoliitto is the party that I'm recommending for these elections. This shift has happened for many reasons - Li Andersson's Presidential campaign being more inspiring and relevant to my values than Pekka Haavisto's last year, the current Green leadership pushing the party away from its left-wing roots and towards the likes of Kokoomus, and Vasemmistoliitto in general having a stronger stance on the issues that need fixing in Finnish society at the moment. I will always have love for the Greens as my original political home, but right now in 2025, Vasemmistoliitto is the party that is meeting the moment better than any other.
In Finnish politics, the balance of voting for the candidate and for the party is always an intriguing one, because of the D'Hondt method - choosing a candidate you like isn't enough, because your vote very much also affects the overall success of the candidate's party whether or not your candidate pulls through. I've followed the campaigns and platforms of all parties in the news quite attentively these past few months, and am thoroughly convinced that Vasemmistoliitto is the way to go for someone with my worldview - so, when voting for Aaro, you won't just be voting for a great candidate, but also helping the party gain the traction it deserves!
8. We are past half measures
There was a time when I was more of a centrist than I am now on a whole number of issues - in an ideal world, I still would be, because in an ideal world, the issues being discussed in society would be discussed by rational people with rational takes, and therefore compromise would be sweet. I'm a peaceful and diplomatic guy by nature, and I never wanted to be on the 'extreme' of any issue.
Then came the times that we live in.
In the political climate of 2025, positions such as "I think everyone should have the same basic human rights as everyone else" and "Guys, maybe we should do something about this climate catastrophe instead of continuing to f**k around and make it worse until our planet is uninhabitable?" are quickly labeled as naive, far-left lunacy, harmfully contributing to the polarization in our society and any number of things. As long as being for principles like equal human rights and trying to save the planet is seen as radical, I suppose that's what I am then. As soon as the time comes that society has evolved to the point where the major parties debate things like "Okay, we all agree that structural racism and sexism are a thing that should be addressed, so what are the best concrete tools to address this serious problem?" and "Okay, obviously the ongoing destruction of our planet needs to be stopped, so do we follow the path recommended by these scientists or the path recommended by those scientists?", I'll happily be a centrist again.
But, yeah. Taking the environment into consideration in any given decision-making process, which is the #1 priority of Aaro's campaign, is more important than good vibes or maintaining the capitalist pipedream of endless ongoing economical growth at the expense of our planet and natural resources. Municipal politics have plenty to do with the environment, and Aaro is candidate who had pledged that any political decision that can be done more ecologically, must be done more ecologically, because that's how serious the climate crisis is. If you're sick of parties like Perussuomalaiset demonizing people who care about the environment while boasting on how much they'll trample on it, or of parties like Kokoomus (and, these days, SDP) campaigning as if they care about the environment so that the people who don't bother looking into things will feel good about voting for them only to realize that they never do prioritize the environment in any given decision when elected into office, then Aaro is the candidate for you.
7. 'Socialism' is a big and scary word to many - but should it be?
Whether it's the red scare in American history or the one we know in Finland, everyone except for socialists seems to have a plethora of negative connotations about the word. On behalf of the openly socialist candidate I'm pulling for, here are a few counter-arguments to the classic anti-socialism arguments that I hope any wary-of-socialism readers will consider:
A) "Socialism is great as an idea, but it hasn't ever worked in practice" - my thing is that you can say the exact same about capitalism. That's what so many in the West don't yet realize; the most common argument you hear against socialism or especially communism, having to do with the problems it might often bring with it, is a dumb f**king argument because we have those problems now and capitalism sure as shit isn't any better. You might be reading this on your iPhone and thinking that we have it pretty good in today's society, but I ask you to think of the child workers in colonized and exploited parts of the world that make it possible for you to have the iPhone. Does that make it worth it? People like me and you are well off because capitalism, at its best, helps half of the world lead a more or less decent life for the price of ripping off the other half, all the while wrecking our environment for that ever-imporant illusion of endless constant growth. No one has figured out a way to run a capitalist society in a way where everyone has a chance to be well off. This is seen best in the poster child of capitalism, the United States, where the billions and billions of dollars accumulated by Bezos and Musk go hand in hand with the millions and millions of homeless people suffering across the country. I say it's time we try something else.
B) "Socialism is great as an idea, but it hasn't ever worked in practice" tackled from another viewpoint: we're talking about socialism here, not Stalin's USSR. It's a broad spectrum of ideals, and socialism is what has given Finland its welfare state basis, with elements like universal healthcare and free education. Socialism gave us a society where people have safety nets to fall back on, they get help when between jobs or struggling with their mental health, and the workforce can have its voice heard. That's socialism. You know who's not a fan of socialism? Orpo's government, working tirelessly to rid Finland of these elements for the noble cause of *checks notes* endless financial growth at the expense of our healthcare and education systems, culture and environment.
C) "Socialism leads to communism which might lead to a violent authoritarian government". Okay, you know what, let's say that you're right. Even if this scenario was a risk, it would take a lot for it to happen - a lot of people would have to suddenly be cool about a lot of things, with Finnish voters completely switching gears to the point of having a communist President and Parliament. Which, y'know, isn't going to happen. We're a country full of racists and right-wingers, not to mention the never-dwindling popularity of centrism. By voting a proud socialist into Jyväskylä's city council, you most definitely will not be risking an involuntary trip to the gulags, no matter how badly the rhetoric of our right-wing parties wants you to think so. At the very best, you'll be shifting the debate to a miniscule degree, adding one "maybe we should try shaping our society in a more financially and socially equal fashion" voice to the political conversation in a country whose current direction is "f**k anything that doesn't make more money for those who already have money". Being worried about hypothetical far-left nightmare scenarios makes little sense in a place and time where the far right is an actual, very real and concrete threat. Voting for a candidate like Aaro is one of the many ways in which you can do your part for a collective pulling of the breaks.
6. Actual solutions
"There are more than two genders"
"Conversation about how girls can't be called girls and boys can't be called boys will just mess with the heads of children"
"You can't say anything anymore"
These are actual agree-or-disagree questions from the Vaalikone (a test on which candidates and parties you align with) from Iltalehti this year. This is largely because we, as a society, are letting the likes of the Perussuomalaiset party dictate the level of public debate. When Paco Diop, a Black teacher and politician, put out a critical and well-thought-out opinion piece about how the old board game Afrikan Tähti reflects imperialist and racist attitudes, the 'True Finns' made it about "Oh, the woke left wants to ban board games from kids now", and then that became the issue. When the Left Alliance, Greens and Social Democrats in parliament criticize cabinet ministers in Orpo's government for their multiple instances of slurs, hate speech, racist lies and inciting violence, they respond with "You can't say anything anymore!" and then that's the issue.
That's one of the things I like about Aaro and his campaign - basic principles like equal human rights aren't a goddamn yes-or-no question to him. The tenet that people should be treated with kindness and no one should be oppressed is an unquestioned fact of life to him, and he has been consistently critical of the dumbass culture wars where human rights are presented as a two-valid-sides argument. As a city councilman, I trust he'd do his part to shift the debate from this shitshow to a direction of talking about concrete steps - by educating ourselves and listening to the experiences of minorities, how do we start to tackle our systemic injustices? Racists, sexists, homophobes, transphobes, ableists and all the other deniers of systemic injustices do not need any more goddamn megaphones.
5. One of the politically sharpest people I know
I like to talk politics. So does Aaro. Having played in the same band for years, not to mention living together for a year and a half and just generally being close friends, we've talked a lot of politics over the years. On most things, we're in more or less complete agreement (I wouldn't sign up to be the campaign manager of just any random guy). Naturally, there have also been those times when we disagree - but even among all these, I have never once thought any less of his utterly sharp and poignant way of looking at politics. In fact, as someone who tries to keep an open mind and not be too sure of his own opinions, I'd estimate that no one else has made me reconsider my stance / change my mind on a political issue as often as Aaro (okay, maybe my fiancée Martta even slightly more, but it's a close call).
Aaro has the exact type of brain (and heart) that a good politician should have. A clear and well-reasoned moral compass, a strong sense of empathy and honest aim to make the world a better place, the ability to keep an open mind and challenge one's own thinking upon learning new information, a critical view on what media and sources to trust, and rhetorical skills so good that it's hard to imagine him losing a debate. This dude has some real wisdom to him, and that's what we need in our city council.
4. Unlike the current government and city council, Aaro cares about culture
I love my hometown, and a big part of why I love it is its culture - when you think of Jyväskylä, you think of events like Yläkaupungin Yö and Jyväskylän Kesä, accessible hobby opportunities like our amateur theaters (Teatterikone, Teatteri Eurooppa Neljä) and dance schools (Keski-Suomen Tanssikeskus, Jyväskylän Tanssiopisto), local music like the beloved children's orchestra Loiskis, and cultural centers like Villa Rana. They are what make Jyväskylä special; they are what make Jyväskylä Jyväskylä.
What if I told you that every one of the events, organizations and places I just mentioned are in immediate danger, all of them among the first names on the cutting list, as of the current city council's reckless decision to slash 400 000€ from Jyväskylä's culture?
If you wonder why the city needs to save that much money, the Kokoomus members of the city council have the answer locked and ready - times are tough, so we need to be saving up and cutting, although obviously we need to splurge myriads of euros to pay for the replacement of Kirkkopuisto with a massive parking garage complex, doing huge renovations on Lutakonaukio that we maybe didn't need in the first place, and complete the Hippos-hanke because having the fanciest and most expensive sports center in Finland is much more important than using our resources for basic, easily accessible sport hobbies for everyone.
Higher education students make up about one third of Jyväskylä's population. I know a lot of people who have graduated from JYU and stayed here, and I'm guessing that the diverse and accessible culture life of what is often called "Finland's Athens" has something to do with that. It is however very hard to imagine a situation where, with no more Yläkaupungin Yö, no more Jyväskylän Kesä, no more Villa Rana, no more amateur theaters, no more dance schools and no more Loiskis, someone with fresh master's papers will go "Gosh, I was gonna move to Helsinki, but now that we have this great new parking garage where Kirkkopuisto used to be, I think I'll stay in Jyväskylä after all!". Maintaining a city that people enjoy living in, and want to live in (or perhaps want to move to) is an important part of the city council's job, and one that the current council is failing miserably at - and there is no one I'd trust more to fight tooth and nail for our culture than Aaro.
3. Politics based on empathy
"Your compassion is a weakness"
"The fundamental weakness of Western civilization is empathy"
"Empathy does not belong in politics"
The first quote is from supervillain Ra's al Ghul (Liam Neeson) in Batman Begins (2005). The second is from Elon Musk. The third is from our Deputy Prime Minister & Minister of Finance, Riikka Purra.
The reason I originally became interested in politics was the understanding that politics affect us all. The reason why I became obsessed with politics is that I followed enough news to see that groups of people are being treated inequally, being hurt and demonized, in both of my home countries, and a bunch of people seem to be scarily cool with that. The reason why I wanted to go into politics is, 100 per cent, empathy - I wanted to do my part in trying to make an unjust society more just, so that those that have less could have more. I also know that empathy is why Aaro went into politics - he has talked in great detail about how it's harder and harder to stay silent and not act when you see so much wrong in the world. That's why he's running. In a better world, one that I with my values would understand better than this fuckery we have, that would be the only reason anyone goes into politics. Why do you devote your life to public service, if you don't want to provide public service, if you openly admit that you don't care about the people you're supposed to be representing?
That's what I would like to ask Reichsfuhrër Purra if I got the chance. It's pretty spooky, really. If empathy doesn't have a place in politics, the forum where we decide on what kind of society we want to run for our people, then what the f**k are we even doing?
2. On a more personal note
I'd never vote for someone just because they're my friend, no matter how much I like them as a person. But I'm also not above voting for a candidate who I know personally, and I do believe that what you know about the candidate personally can make for an extra-reason why to vote for them, as long as you're sure you're not being biased and also stand behind the candidate on their political merits. Who a candidate is behind their political persona can say a lot about them as a politician - as proved by the countless politicians who preach 'family values' while having affairs and beating their wives, it's hard to tell who someone really is, and it helps if you know them.
Thankfully, I know Aaro really well, and in addition to him being a credible candidate and a potentially great public servant, he's also just one of the best people I've had the honor of knowing. This encompasses many things that don't necessarily make him a better politician but don't hurt either (a bizarre yet brilliant sense of humor, a kick-ass taste in music, an admirable passion for birdwatching), as well as many things that most definitely do make him a better politician (he treats people with kindness and respect, is a great conversationalist and listener, and a deep thinker).
If you're reading this blog post, I'm guessing that my opinion of things might mean at least a fragment of something to you - so trust me when I say that Aaro gets my full seal of approval. It helps that the image you get of him in his campaign is actually indistuingishable from his ordinary-life persona - in our very first campaign meeting, we agreed that crafting a separate 'public persona' for a candidate is f**king dumb, and a big part of why people don't trust politicians. With my candidate, what you see is what you get - let's get this guy into the city council!
1. The best time to start voting like you care about the planet was years ago - but the second-best time is now
Finnish people, regardless of political party, tend to claim great pride in our beautiful Finnish nature. Weirdly enough, it's only around thirteen per cent of the population that votes accordingly.
Every year, before every election, organizations like Luonnonsuojeluliitto share studies on how the platforms of different political parties would affect Finland's role in the escalating climate crisis, as well as Finnish nature. And every year, the message is clear: of the major political parties, the Left Alliance and the Greens are the only parties whose platform actually prioritizes the environment, and would commit to the kind of decision-making that would protect the environment more than ramp up the damage we're doing. The only ones. Once again, I'm begging to look at politicians' actions in addition to their words - Kokoomus candidates love to campaign on the flat-out lie of caring about the planet, but when you look at their track record while in office, there are no instances where they prioritize the environment over anything else (especially their precious principle of endless financial growth at the cost of the planet).
If you're a voter in Finland, and you like our majestic nature, and you're thinking of voting for a party other than Vasemmistoliitto or Vihreät - I beg of you, open your eyes. Talking nicely about the environment while pursuing destructive policies isn't going to save a single forest or species. Orpo's government is currently enacting policies that should have every nature-loving Finn on the barricades, such as the expansion of the peat industry to a degree that experts warn will lead to entire ecosystems being destroyed, countless species becoming extinct and gravely contributing to how quickly we run out of fresh water. While this pure evil can't obviously be reversed by municipal politics alone, we need to start voting like we care about the environment in all elections.
Many decisions in municipal politics are the kind that can be made in an ecological way or an anti-ecological way, and I can't fathom how most people are still on the side of the anti-ecological parties. As a planet we're at the point where people like myself are seriously considering that we never want to become parents, for the primary reason that we wouldn't want to bring a child into a world that is doomed when we could've taken action to save it. I'm pleading everyone reading this to vote with consciousness of what we're doing to our nature, and what we could do to start protecting it in our decision-making. Aaro is a candidate who, upon being elected, would always prioritize our nature and climate with any given situation. Yes, one individual city council member obviously won't save the planet, but we're starting to get the point where we can't afford any more politicians who don't give a shit, and need to start voting for ones that do.
Thank you for reading! Tune in next week for an ambitious ranking inspired by a recent Vulture article with a similar concept - the top 100 TV acting performances of all time.
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