In Finland, party funding is distributed to parties according to how many MPs they manage to get into Parliament. In practice, this means that parties that do not have a single MP are left completely without party funding. This is of course clear and simple, but it inevitably raises the question: is it fair? Does this system really promote the development of democracy and political competition?
In the current situation, party funding benefits above all those parties that are already large, well-known and established. They receive significant sums from the state, which they can use to improve visibility, campaign and maintain operations. This creates a cycle in which large parties remain large because they have the resources to be constantly visible, while new or small parties have no chance whatsoever of getting on the same level.
I have also reflected on this issue through my own experience. I joined Liike Nyt precisely because I wanted to find an alternative to the traditional parties. I saw an opportunity to create a new kind of politics that is not based on old power machines or structures. But right from the start it became clear that without the financial resources that large parties automatically enjoy, building alternatives and making them visible is really difficult.
Democracy must not depend on money
It is completely understandable that the state has to regulate somehow how and on what grounds party funding is distributed. But is this current way the only right one? I don’t believe so. On the contrary, the current model keeps us stuck in old structures, and it does not in reality make room for new ideas and alternatives. At the core of democracy there should always be fair competition, where everyone genuinely has the opportunity to be seen and heard – regardless of whether the party belongs to the current power group or not.
If we think about how democracy works at its best, it is precisely when people have choices and when different opinions and ideas can be openly brought forward. But in the current situation, offering alternatives is difficult if financial resources are nowhere near equal. A party’s visibility should not depend solely on how many MPs the party got in the last election – especially when we know that many parties have started very small and later grown into significant players.
A concrete proposal for a new model
So how could we bring about change in the situation? One realistic and easily implementable solution would be to set both a maximum limit and a minimum amount for party funding. This would mean that every registered party with at least a certain number of members and active operations would receive basic funding, with which the party could carry out at least some kind of visible campaign.
At the same time, it would be justified to set a cap on how large a share of the entire party funding pot can go to a single party. This way we could prevent large parties from being able to dominate the political field purely with their financial power. Such a model would increase fairness, encourage new political initiatives and significantly diversify political debate.
It is also good to remember that this would not automatically mean that everyone would get the same amount of money – but rather that each party would get enough so that they can be heard and seen. It would not only be more just, but also genuinely beneficial for democracy, because people would be better informed about new alternatives and different perspectives.
In democracy there must be room for new ideas and people
I strongly believe that the renewal of society always starts with people having real alternatives and the opportunity to make different choices. This applies equally to politics. When new parties and movements get even some kind of chance to come into the spotlight, it increases the diversity of society and also people’s interest in politics. Now many people opt out of politics entirely precisely because they feel that there are no alternatives – or that the current system favors only those who already have power and position.
Unfortunately, the current party funding system does not promote the renewal of democracy, but on the contrary acts as an obstacle. It is time for us to rethink this, to create a system that is genuinely fair and open to all parties and political movements. Democracy must not depend on money, and new ideas should not be drowned out because they cannot afford to be visible.
Espoo and all of Finland deserve a better democracy. One in which every party and candidate – large or small – can genuinely be heard and seen. Now is the time to take a step in that direction.
Source: Uusi Suomi
Markku Arvekari
Digital Transformation Expert
