I am Maija Karhunen, project manager and dancer from Vuosaari, Helsinki. I am an electoral candidate in the general election for the Finnish parliament. I am a candidate in the constituency of Helsinki. You can vote for me with the number 73.

I have broken glass ceilings in my life already in my career as a dancer. Currently, I work in an organisation called Culture for All as a project manager for a more equitable art and culture sector.

I was already a candidate in the municipal elections in 2021. After the municipal elections, I have worked as a representative of the Helsinki Left Party in the individual affairs division of Helsinki’s board for social affairs, health and rescue.

I joined the Left Alliance in 2019 because I was completely frustrated with the public debate about Finland’s economic policy. We don’t need to make budget cuts from our well-being, we can choose differently. It cannot be the case that in a welfare state like Finland, it is not possible to guarantee a sufficient livelihood or a safe old age for everyone, not just a few.

And did you know that there has never been a disabled woman MP in the Finnish parliament, for more than one hundred years. I have the experience and a vision that the Finnish parliament has never had before. Join me, let’s make history together!

 

What is important to me in this election?

1. We have choices in our economic policy

The cutting policy makes the future uncertain. The media and other political parties present to the public that there is no alternative to the budget cuts. However, the economy can be balanced in many ways. We need to strengthen the state’s income by targeting tax extortion on the wealthiest in society. They are able to pay. We need to strengthen employment and yes – we also need to cut expenses, but in moderation and through careful selection. We need to be more thoughtful in our priorities. Past mistakes can’t be repeated. No budget cuts in our social security, social and health services and education.

2. Sufficient livelihood for everyone

Sufficient livelihood is everyone’s right, both those who work, those who are partially able to work and those who do not work. No one should have to work multiple low-paying jobs to make ends meet. We need to fight the poverty of the working people through legislating a minimum wage. Raises need to be prioritized to low-wage sectors. We must continue developing our social security system towards a basic income. And we must continue to increase the amounts of the lowest social benefits. We need to improve the financial situation of those living alone.

3. Strong social and health services create security

Health disparities have to be narrowed. We have to continue to enforce basic and human rights. The elderly have to be guaranteed a dignified old age and children a safe childhood. Social and health policies are the most important means of enhancing the quality of each person’s unique life. We have to strengthen primary health care by creating a seven-day care guarantee. Funding of the newly created welfare areas have to be ensured. We have to expand the nursing staffing to home care and increase the number of care places for the elderly. We must make social and health services work also for people living alone. And we have to improve services of the disabled people, but we need to make ambitious disability policy in other policy areas as well.

4. Art and culture have an absolute value

Art and culture certainly increase well-being and are an export product for Finland. However, the most important reason for defending art and culture is that without art and culture, Finland is not a civilized country. We have to take care of the funding of art and culture by securing its position in the state budget and raising the funding level. We must improve the social security of artists, the self-employed and grant recipients by creating a combined insurance and reforming earnings-related unemployment insurance. We have to fix the legislation concerning infectious diseases to take better into account the field of art and culture. We must make art and culture accessible for everyone, for example to those who have a low income.

 

Photo: Minerva Juolahti