Finns to vote on how best to save their welfare state

[turbinetree]

By JARI TANNER and VANESSA GERA today

HELSINKI (AP) — Finns will be voting Sunday in a parliamentary election shaped by debates on how best to preserve their generous welfare model despite having one of the world’s most rapidly aging populations.

And in this Nordic nation, which has one-third of its territory above the Arctic Circle, anxieties over climate change are emerging more than ever.

In many respects, the choices facing Finland’s 4.5 million eligible voters reflect trends seen across Europe: a populist anti-immigrant, euroskeptic party is rising in opinion polls, while traditional political parties have lost ground. In Finland, the nationalist Finns Party is polling in second place.

But in an exception to that trend, Finland’s center-left Social Democratic Party tops a recent poll with 19% support. It would still need to find coalition partners if it ended up trying to form the next government.

https://apnews.com/3caf7d57524f4effb5f890e67aac0a2d

[Blue_true]

1. Just shows.

That a negative argument is comforting to people that fail to look deeper. Claiming to be anti-immigrant because one is a proud patriot is a negative, empty message, but many voters don't look at the internals to see that.