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Joakim Vigelius criticized Helsingin Sanomat for having, in his opinion, turned a year-old incident into a government racism scandal and hinted that the Finns Party was responsible for the reactions on social media. Vigelius believed that the criticism directed at the villa accommodations for asylum seekers was warranted and appropriate and was not related to racism. https://t.co/elG6wTZBtj #keskustelu #politiikka #rasismi (translated)

Yaron Nadbornik criticized Heikki Hiilamo's column published in Yleisradio, stating that it presented a one-sided image connecting the actions of Israel's leadership, Finnish Christian groups, and Minister Antti Häkkänen's visit to the structures of oppression. Nadbornik argued that the column's treatment of Israel and Zionism made Jews collectively responsible and expanded the criticism to also include Israel's supporters and Jews in general. According to Nadbornik, Hiilamo's text divided the parties into white and Christian oppressors and non-white and Muslim victims. He said this framing overlooked the Jewish roots, history, and vulnerability in the Middle East, as well as the fact that millions of people from various backgrounds lived in Israel. He also believed that the framework wrongly fit the conflict into a narrative of Western colonialism and racism and presented Israel as a refuge for a people without another homeland. Nadbornik wrote that the prejudices against Jews were based on their otherness. He noted that studies had shown that Jews living in the diaspora were unjustly held accountable for the actions of the state of Israel. He argued that Hiilamo's rhetoric, which connected Christian groups and ministerial visits with the suffering in Gaza, reinforced this framework. Nadbornik recalled the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, describing it as a massacre involving rapes, mutilations, and the abduction of civilians, including babies, festival-goers, and the elderly, into Israel. He called it the largest single act of violence against Jews since the Holocaust. According to Nadbornik, Hiilamo overlooked the fact that Hamas and Hezbollah openly sought the destruction of Israel in connection with Israel's military actions. He believed that framing the terror attack merely as a security threat or comparing it to Russia's invasion of Ukraine ignored the rights of Israeli citizens to exist and be protected. https://t.co/PFvBFdaoiQ #Israel #Juutalaiset #Rasismi (translated)

Henri Vanhanen wrote that Donald Trump's Russia policy may not have been guided by a coherent strategy. According to him, Trump made decisions one by one, seeking quick political gains, and then had to fix the consequences. In his assessment, Vanhanen linked Trump's diminished commitment to arming Ukraine, the energy price increases resulting from the war in Iran, and the recent diesel trade with Russia. He believed that trade could bolster the Russian economy and give Vladimir Putin a means to pressure Ukraine into halting strikes on Russia's oil refineries. Vanhanen also criticized Trump for condemning strikes that he claimed weakened Russia's war economy. Vanhanen noted that Trump’s administration had not sought significant new funding from Congress for arming Ukraine. According to him, previously agreed deliveries had continued, and European countries had purchased American weapons for Ukraine. He stated that Trump was not fundamentally on the side of Ukraine or Europe but was primarily pursuing his own interests. According to Vanhanen, Finland's security should not be built on the assumption that there is a plan behind Trump's decisions that would turn in favor of Europe. He urged preparedness for the possibility that U.S. aid could be delayed or smaller than expected, to strengthen the availability of defense equipment and air defense, and to deepen cooperation with Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Britain, Poland, and the Baltic countries. He also believed that Europe should be able to support Ukraine and maintain economic pressure on Russia by its own means. #Trump #Venäjä #Ukraina (translated)

Henri Vanhanen wrote that the agreement announced by Donald Trump with Vladimir Putin to bring millions of tons of Russian diesel to the global market would be very bad news for Ukraine. According to Vanhanen, the arrangement would give Russia new opportunities to earn from energy exports, even though its war of aggression in Ukraine would continue. Vanhanen assessed that the agreement could help Russia mitigate the economic impacts of the strikes on Ukraine's oil refineries. He wrote that the strikes had caused problems and fuel shortages for Russia. In his view, facilitating Russia's energy exports would also reduce the pressure on Putin to negotiate an end to the war. Vanhanen considered it possible that the promised deliveries might not materialize, as he claimed Russia's refining capacity had suffered from the strikes. Vanhanen speculated that Trump was aiming for lower fuel prices in the United States before the midterm elections, but questioned the agreement's impact on prices. He also found the political message of the agreement concerning: in his view, the Kremlin could present it as evidence that Russia is not isolated and that the U.S. president is willing to do business with it. According to Vanhanen, the agreement could place Ukraine's strikes on Russia's oil industry in conflict with Washington's fuel price objectives. He urged Europe to prepare for greater responsibility in supporting Ukraine and pressuring Russia, and maintained that Russia's war economy should not be helped to recover. https://t.co/gpRe9acHoW #Ukraina #Venäjä #Trump (translated)

Otto Juote wrote that, in his opinion, the YEL reform would not improve the situation for entrepreneurs during the current government term. He justified his view by saying that the law would not come into effect until 2028 and that it would not apply to any entrepreneur before the parliamentary elections in spring 2027. Juote argued that the timeline was politically intentional: according to him, the National Coalition Party could present itself as the initiator of the reform before the elections while avoiding responsibility for the consequences, which would only begin in the next term. He suspected that a blue-red government formed after the elections could annul or postpone the reform and anticipated that the SDP would demand its cancellation. Juote noted that no invoices based on the new model had yet been sent, nor had implementation decisions been made. According to him, the new parliament could repeal the law or postpone its entry into force with a simple legislative amendment, allowing the practices of the 2023 model to continue. He also questioned the information systems as an official basis for a delay extending to 2028 and assessed that the postponement would give the National Coalition Party the opportunity to leave the implementation of the reform to the next government. Juote claimed that the National Coalition Party did not want to reform YEL during any government term. #YEL #politiikka #uudistus (translated)

The True Finns assessed that their polling results could be explained by the fact that the party had consistently worked for the country's sake and had taken responsibility throughout the entire term. According to the party, it had not changed its positions based on the polls, but its stance had remained the same. #ps #perussuomalaiset #hallitus #politiikka #Suomi #gallup (translated)

Mika Merano criticized the reported proposals to raise the retirement age to over 70 years and described the idea as extremely senseless. According to him, the proposals were based on the view that people would have an invisible debt to the state and that their role would be to produce tax revenue by working nearly until the end of their lives. Merano called for a reform of the pension system in the opposite direction. He argued that the state should provide only a small minimum safety net and shift more responsibility to the individuals themselves. He suggested a large-scale reduction in mandatory pension contributions so that people would have more money left from their salaries and could save for their retirement if they wanted. Merano justified his stance by emphasizing individual freedom and personal responsibility. He stated that the state should not dictate how long people should work or how they should use their money. #eläke #yksilönvapaudet #valtiopolitiikka (translated)

Henri Vanhanen recalled working in the parliament in February 2022 when Russia launched its full-scale attack on Ukraine. According to him, Finland had not yet sent defense aid to Ukraine at that time. Vanhanen stated that he had suggested to the National Coalition Party’s parliamentary group that the government should be required to provide military assistance. Vanhanen wrote that Finland was sending its 35th defense assistance package to Ukraine and had delivered defense materials worth approximately 3.6 billion euros to the country. He described the support as a long-term national commitment that had been continued across government terms and party lines. According to Vanhanen, supporting Ukraine's defense was also necessary for Finland's security. He assessed that the repelled Russian attacks in Ukraine would reduce Russia's ability to threaten other countries in Europe. Vanhanen wrote that Finland's support should continue for as long as it was needed. https://t.co/SGRsbSx53P #Ukraina #Suomi #Puolustusapu (translated)

Tuulia Alanko wrote that many others besides traditional supporters of the Finns Party had also expressed similar views, in her opinion. She praised Riikka and the Finns Party ministers for their responsibility and ability to implement. Alanko stated that the Finns Party, according to her, did not want to serve the elite or accept unrestricted use of taxpayers' money. She criticized the Social Democrats for their talk about civil society and believed that climate actions alone did not address the challenges related to immigration or hybrid operations. Alanko described the Minister of the Interior as having acted to reform immigration policy and demanded changes to open invitations for immigration and the granting of citizenship. She also praised the Finns Party Minister of Justice for changing the line on criminal law and tightening penalties, even though, according to her, he had been criticized for populism. Alanko wrote that neither Riikka nor other members of the Finns Party should change their positions to please everyone. She believed the party would maintain its stance despite red-green criticism and pressure, describing the Finns Party as a caretaker party. #persut #poliitika #Suomi (translated)

Jari Sarasvuo wrote that the WHO had urged Russia to tell the truth and the United States for its citizens to leave Russia immediately. He wondered if there was really cause for concern and whether it was indeed responsible to care for the security of the eastern border at that time. https://t.co/PwUUdJJJNc #Venäjä #kansainvälisetasiat #turvallisuus (translated)

Jocka Träskbäck wrote that a report commissioned by Yleisradio from an independent entity of their own choosing for 54,200 euros depicted Yleisradio as using funds exceptionally efficiently and responsibly according to their independent leaders. Träskbäck discussed the matter sarcastically as being thoroughly addressed and encouraged others to move on. https://t.co/cvoDbpu673 #Yleisradio #rahankäyttö #riippumattomuus (translated)

Henri Vanhanen warned about Finland's security and wrote that according to Denmark's Security and Intelligence Service PET, Russia had begun sabotage operations against Danish defense companies. According to him, companies supplying weapons and equipment to Ukraine were particularly targeted. Vanhanen stated that PET assessed that Moscow had aimed to reduce European support for Ukraine through intimidation and harassment and was now trying to harm weapons production and supply chains. Vanhanen wrote that perpetrators of the strikes were recruited via social media and were first paid for photographing and gathering intelligence on targets, and later for sabotage. According to him, this allowed operations without the direct involvement of Russian intelligence officers. He warned that Russia aimed to extend the effects of the war to NATO countries and also assessed that Finland's defense industry's production facilities, subcontractors, personnel, and supply chains could be targets. Vanhanen believed that protecting them required cooperation between companies and authorities, and urged NATO to assess when individual sabotage attacks would constitute a systematic campaign against the alliance's defense capability. https://t.co/CgjnDAjDhY #Turvallisuus #Ukraina #Venäjä (translated)

Tuulia Alanko wrote that the Finns Party had risen to become the second largest party and noted that there were just over six months until the elections. According to her, voters recognized who could take responsibility and commit to balancing the economy while prioritizing Finns. Alanko claimed that only one party was independent of interest groups and could implement significant tightening in immigration and crime policy as well as advocate for the interests of ordinary taxpayers. She said she aimed for Riikka to become Prime Minister. #vaalit #politiikka #Suomi (translated)

Kai Suikka has been given a challenging task in Kouvola to improve KooKoo's poor start to the season, as the team has lost all ten of its matches, and CEO Sakari Välimaa emphasizes the coaching staff's responsibility for the players' performance. #KooKoo #KaiSuikkanen #Jääkiekko (translated)

Mikael Lith described Timo R. Stewart as an ideologically biased disseminator of propaganda regarding Palestine and claimed that he overlooked the Palestinians' responsibility for the situation in the Middle East. According to Lith, Stewart did not mention that the Palestinians had repeatedly rejected peace offers that were favorable to them, most recently in 2008. Lith also claimed that Stewart downplayed the significance of terrorism in the Palestinian struggle for independence, in which it had, according to him, played a major role. #Palestiina #LähiItä #terrorismi (translated)

Henri Vanhanen wrote that he had been calling for a clearer situational picture of Russia's intelligence and influence activities towards Finland for some time. He viewed positively that, according to him, the message from the Security Police and the Defense Forces about the situation was now serious: Russian intelligence operations against Finland had intensified, cyber intelligence was active, and the interest was particularly focused on the defense industry. Vanhanen noted that the chief of the intelligence department of the General Staff had assessed that the intelligence operations targeting society and critical systems could be preparation for sabotage. According to him, Finland could thus become a target of Russian sabotage activities. He also wrote that, according to the Security Police, at least one small Finnish technology company had already been subject to verifiably increased intelligence activities. Vanhanen assessed that Russia aimed to weaken Ukraine's ability to continue the war by also influencing countries, businesses, and supply chains related to Western support. He warned that problems arising for companies supporting Ukraine could raise questions in Finland about the risks of support and serve Russia's objectives. Vanhanen suggested that the security of defense and technology companies should be proactively strengthened. He urged companies to check, among other things, their cybersecurity, the protection of their facilities, approaches to personnel, data access rights, supply chains, and unusual cooperation, recruitment, and investor contacts. He stated that especially small companies should be provided with easily accessible government support for identifying threats and improving security. According to Vanhanen, Russia's goal was to get Western countries to reduce their support for Ukraine. He believed that Finland should respond to possible pressure by better protecting the people and companies enabling support rather than changing its policies. https://t.co/f0INfDq1Zf #Venäjä #Suomi #Kyberturvallisuus (translated)