Greta Thunberg-effect is visible in the Finnish election campaign

Among the valstugor and tunnelbaneresenärer outside the shopping centre Kamppi keep The greens chairman, Pekka Haavisto, a speech before a handful of faithful voters. Many allow themselves to taste of the vegetarian linssoppan, which differs from the traditional valstugekorven that most of the Finnish parties tend to bid on.

are given: sustainable growth, education and better social security. The green advocates, among other things, an extended experiment with basic income, something that is already the current government tried. In addition to The greens that Finland is carbon-neutral by 2030.

Here, in Helsinki, need Haavisto not fight for the votes. The party is popular among urban voters.

The Green group chairman Pekka Haavisto speaks to voters in the centre of Helsinki. Photo: Niklas Meltio

the city of Helsinki deputy mayor Anni Sinnemäki is green veteranpolitiker, and in the city council, the party is the second largest (after the center-right national Coalition party), with 21 members of the 85.

in march, has silvery-gray hair and is known for his quiet leadership style. In the presidential election of 2012 and 2018, he was the only one who came close to challenge the incumbent president of finland, Sauli Niinistö, and according to surveys before the election to over 20 per cent of the population see him as the next prime minister. He is even more popular than the social Democrats, Antti Rinne, whose party in the other lead measurements. The green itself lands between 12 and 14 percent.

Haavisto, is a representative of the first generation of green politicians. Already in school, he became a vegetarian, and skolstrejkade until he acquired a medical certificate attesting that he didn't have to eat meat.

lost a couple of percent, then the measurements placed The greens in fourth place. But its trump card is a transfer to new, potential voters.

" It will be interesting to see what happens on Sunday, because the young normally tend to be the right passive voters in Finland. Klimatengagemanget can change it, " he says.

Finnish young people gathered at the Helsinki cathedral to demonstrate for climate, march 15, 2019. Photo: Heikki Saukkomaa/AFP

a clear ”Greta Thunberg-effect”. Throughout the winter have students around the country have been on strike for the climate, and around a thousand Finnish researchers, supported also officially skolstrejkerna. In november, wrote the eight parties during an agreement on common climate goals. In addition, there has started an initiative to get into klimatlära as a subject in the primary school.

This means, of course, not all politicians pull in the same direction – in the election debate, there are clear extremes, such as strong support for the private vehicles of the center-right national Coalition party and the true finns, while the Centre party and the Blue of the Future (that was created when the true finns split) seems to oppose all the major measures to achieve the climate objectives.

I have got a group leader to comment on a feature with Greta Thunberg, whereupon the party from the small protestpartiet ”Finland first”, Marco de Wit, called the element of ”state propaganda”. That the city of Helsinki now have a vegetarian day in all the schools get other politicians to brand themselves as carnivores.

But the candidates had to answer on the environmental issues more frequently than in the past the choice is clear, says medieprofessor Anu Koivunen.

" My opinion is that it is even spoken more about the environment in this election than you did in Sweden in the last election. All parties except the true finns also wrote under the common climate targets, even if it is only the left alliance and The greens, which really secures the climate objectives in their programmes, " she says.

Bank of miljöparti is popular in Helsinki, where it is the second largest in the city council. Photo: Niklas Meltio

has moved forward in the last weeks of measurements, and is right now second. Anu Koivunen believe that climate change is an explanation.

" Even if the party's core issue is immigration, the party Jussi Halla-aho have chosen to focus on the climate debate. On the way profile himself as an alternative to all the other parties, which he blames for the ”klimathysteri”.

Koivunen think that the media has taken up klimatvinklar much more systematic than in previous elections.

– the Papers have made measurements which have shown that climate is important for most readers. You still see that there is a group, often men of middle age, not engaged as much by these issues, " she says.

are The green numbers on the 12 to 14% unique. That Finland has such a popular miljöparti has a long history, " says Pekka Haavisto.

" We came into parliament for the first time in 1983, and we have sat four times in the government. It depends in part on the fact that we in Finland are accustomed to work together across ideological divides. It is not the same policy of blocs in Sweden, " he says.

if we are To believe the polls will be the next prime minister to be named Antti Rinne, who is the social Democrats ' party leader. He has been sick because of a pneumonia and not done very much noise.

To the party despite the fact it is the greatest, is perhaps the most that the current government – The centre party Juha Sipilä at the forefront – has a record of support, not least since the Sipilä applied for the government's resignation earlier in the spring due to a failed vårdreform.

Jani Huopainen (far right) takes a selfie with Pekka Haavisto. Photo: Niklas Meltio

an equally inflamed form a government after the last elections in Sweden.

– It is difficult to speculate. We had already had the true finns in the government, so the situation is not as locked in Finland. Maybe a new government can be formed with the social democrats and The greens as a base, " he says.

Anu Koivunen parts of the percent-age desire for more young people to go and vote on Sunday.

" For me it is the most interesting question. In the last election voted only 43 percent of all 20-year-olds, compared with 84 per cent of all 70-year-olds. It is a dramatic dichotomy. In the measurements among the young, The greens are popular, but you are also seeing a polarization, where many young people supporting the true finns.