“Where were you when Petteri Orpo’s government undermined Democracy, and why didn’t you do anything?” This might be asked 30 years from now if we remain silent. Petteri Orpo’s regime is dangerous for us all.
The current state of development in Finland is highly alarming from a democratic perspective. Orpo’s regime has done some questionable choices that do threaten our democracy. The history is about to repeat itself and almost 50 % of Finnish citizens are welcoming this development with joy.
They really shouldn’t.
Real also: Future generations will condemn us for our incompetence
The Erosion of Democratic Values
Who believes that human rights, equality, and minority rights don’t belong to democracy? Who restricts human rights under the guise of an apparent crisis?
Someone might answer: Putin. And he wouldn’t be wrong. Unfortunately, the same applies to the Perussuomalaiset (True Finns) party and Jussi Halla-Aho.
In an interview with Bishop Teemu Laajasalo, Halla-Aho expressed that, in his opinion, human rights, equality, or minority rights do not belong to democracy. He couldn’t be more wrong, as democracy and the rule of law should ideally secure everyone’s rights, even if the government includes parties indifferent to human rights like the Perussuomalaiset and Kokoomus.
The Government’s Actions
The government is rapidly pushing cuts to the livelihoods of the poorest, jeopardizing the realization of their fundamental rights. To achieve this, the Constitutional Law Committee selectively chooses experts to listen to on the matter. This is unprecedented.
Additionally, the government, using the pretext of a few refugees from Russia, is considering closing the borders to all asylum seekers. This, too, may clash with the constitution, but the direction is frightening. Almost every atrocity in the world began with the violation of human rights under some pretext. There is a steep decline once the violation of human rights begins. The means should be proportionate to the threat, which doesn’t seem to be the case now. It feels like a racist and selfish agenda is being pursued due to the crisis caused by Russia. Soon, the borders might be closed to all non-white individuals.
Future Concerns
We must be extremely vigilant, or soon we may say that the enlightened state and democracy are mere memories. We are on the path of Hungary and Russia, in addition to the infamous Sweden way.
Massive “achievements” for the blue-black government in less than a year.
Petteri Orpo’s regime is dangerous for us all. “Where were you when Orpo’s government undermined democracy, and why didn’t you do anything?” This might be asked 30 years from now. Hopefully, the answer is that I was actively working to stop the worrisome developments and not staying silent.
