Who am I?
I’m 31 years old, a Special Advisor to the Minister of Science and Culture and Center Party’s Helsinki mayoral candidate.
For me, municipal politics is about work and entrepreneurship, wholesome everyday life and urban nature.
My mother is a textile artist and my father is an entrepreneur. Growing up, our family’s income was sometimes scarce. But our parents taught us that a person’s worth can’t be measured by money: it’s love and caring which count. These life basics shouldn’t be left aside in one’s private life or politics. Especially, in this harshening political climate, empathy and tolerance are important building blocks for our society.
Before becoming a Special Adviser, I worked as a political journalist. I’ve also worked as an orderly and as the Manager of the Center Party Youth in Helsinki. My very first summer job was on our neighbor’s strawberry farm. In high-school I financed by studies by working as a cleaner.
I currently live in Lauttasaari, but I’ve also lived in Töölö, Vallila, Kallio, Punavuori, Alppila and Oulunkylä. I spent my childhood in Leppävirta, Northern Savonia. I did my bachelor’s studies at Uppsala University in Sweden, and I’ve also lived and worked in Australia.
I cherish breakfasts with my loved ones, deep conversations over a glass of wine and jogs in the beautiful Finnish nature.
Municipal Elections: People to the centre – Helsinki can do better
I’m running for Helsinki city council in the spring 2021 municipal elections because I know Helsinki can do better. Peoples wishe’s for a good life and quality living has to be placed at the center of city politics. This means more diverse options for living, childcare, and transportation, among others.
Work
Everyone should have the right to earn a living and to feel safe and significant, these are provided by jobs. Work and entrepreneurship are also the cornerstones of sustainable economy of the city of Helsinki.
Helsinki is home for some of the wealthiest people in Finland, but many are also constrained to live on the fringe of welfare. Reducing marginalization and ensuring that every capable person can study or work is important socially. This is also the best economic policy.
Employment services in Helsinki need organization and they need to be integrated with other municipal services. The municipal employment service experiment offers a historical opportunity for this. The goal needs to be one point of contact for services. That point of contact should be able to provide relevant assistance for finding employment and supporting competence services, as well as mental health services.
Jobs are created in companies. Helsinki has to be a good partner for companies and support small and medium sized companies as well. This can be done by breaking down acquisitions into smaller segments and making the purchasing process more transparent. Moreover, employment services have to have a strong connection to companies of grater Helsinki area.
Warmth
Well-functioning services, safety and meaningful relationships are the base for a good everyday life for people of Helsinki.
The City creates a good everyday life by planning welcoming residential areas, guaranteeing people-oriented services, providing affordable rental housing and functioning public transportation.
Public services need to be functionable and accessible, both physically and online. They shouldn’t be concentrated into oversized mega units, instead they should be close the people. Inequality between people and residential areas is a problem in Helsinki. The quality of education needs to be high in all areas of the city, this means that the number of teachers and other professionals needs to be safeguarded.
Preventive family and mental health services are important. In the long perspective, they also save costs for the City. All children and youth must be provided the opportunity for a meaningful hobby.
Next year’s budgetary decisions for Helsinki will include decisions about increasing the group sizes at schools, cutting children’s special services and dissolving of the Helsinki supplement. All of these take Helsinki in the wrong direction, they weaken livelihood, everyday life and variety of choices of families.
The Corona pandemic has increased divisions in learning and well-being of children in a worrying way. In this situation families and schools need an increase in support - not a decrease. The cuts have to be cancelled.
Nature
Urban nature has an immense impact on people’s health and wellbeing, in addition to contributing to the atmosphere of residential areas. Every person in Helsinki has to have the right to nearby urban nature.
Helsinki should not grow at the expense of nearby nature. The construction of Malmi Airport and decreasing the Central Park are mistakes difficult to correct.
The City has great opportunities and responsibilities in mitigating climate change as well as in promoting biodiversity. Helsinki must be a pioneer in developing and applying environmentally smart solutions, be it in energy saving, clean energy production or the diversity of urban nature.
The sea is an intrinsic part of Helsinki and the City is also responsible for the state of the Baltic Sea. Dumping waste snow has to stop.
Helsinki can do better.
Check out my answers to the Yle Election Compass in English!