About me - Who is Santeri Kärki?

“My story began with my birth in 1992 when I happened to be born purely by chance in Finland. I consider myself fortunate to have been born in Finland, although as a child, I didn’t fully grasp it. Being born in Finland is a privilege, not earned in any way, so I can be grateful for it. However, I want to ensure that others’ birth origin doesn’t determine their human worth. Finnishness is a stroke of luck, and there’s no reason for us to keep our borders closed for this reason. Why shouldn’t others deserve the same luck?

Otherwise, my background is from a low-income family, and I am grateful that my mother did everything for my brother and me when we were young. We never had the latest clothes or the means for international trips, but we were reasonably happy. And we didn’t have to go hungry.

In reality, my story truly begins when I got into the University of Tampere. First, studying history, then politics. Earlier, I had already developed a strong interest in both and received laudatur in social studies and history in the matriculation examination. Not necessarily because I was the most diligent, but because I perceive the cause-and-effect relationships of different things exceptionally well. And for that reason, I sometimes recoil at contemporary politics because decisions are made without any understanding of the intersectionality of decisions, i.e., how they affect various policy sectors and people broadly.

University studies were marked by certain challenges in terms of my own livelihood – the amount of student allowance was negligible, and even the loan was too small. I’m still paying off that loan, by the way. In the best case, after student allowance and housing support, my account balance was -45 euros. The loan alone was not enough for living. Studies slowed down, and the worry about livelihood paralyzed.

Eventually, I overcame the challenges and graduated from university. However, my journey has taught me a lot – when some believe they have earned good jobs and money, I realized that the truth is usually far from it. Many are privileged due to their background. Due to their skin color. Due to their gender. Or for some other reason. Few get those jobs based on their skills, but rather because of connections or the right skin color. A harsh fact, but the truth.

That’s why some thoughts in politics disturb me, where people are seen only as expenses. Politics where politicians believe everyone can fend for themselves, and jobs can be found even for someone paralyzed if they just ask. Or politics where locally large companies can negotiate with a lone worker. Having studied history, I know how that ends when a lone worker tries to negotiate pay or working hours.

For this reason, I ended up in politics – I understand reasons and consequences more broadly than many others. I also understand that history repeats itself, and it is evident in many places in contemporary society. Unfortunately, not everyone sees it, but it can’t be expected from everyone. That’s why it’s important that enlightened individuals ensure that no one is left behind.

This is why I became a politician – to make Finland better for many, not just a few.”

–Santeri Kärki