Finnish presidential candidates: Harry Harkimo

By admin On Jan 8, 2024

Movement Now’s presidential candidate Hjallis Harkimo in the studio before Yle’s big election debate in Helsinki on December 21, 2023. LEHTIKUVA

Harry Hjallis Harkimo is a Finnish entrepreneur, politician, and media personality, born on November 2, 1953, in Helsinki, Finland. Formerly elected as a National Coalition Party member, Harkimo later founded his own political party, Movement Now in 2018. With a diverse career spanning business and politics, Harkimo has made a notable impact in both realms.

Political journey:

Elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) for the National Coalition Party (NCP) in 2015, Hjallis Harkimo entered formal politics. His departure from the NCP in 2018 marked the beginning of his independent political path, founding the party “Movement Now” to inject fresh perspectives into Finnish politics.

In 2018, Harkimo founded Liike Nyt (Movement Now), challenging traditional political structures. Emphasizing pragmatism and innovative solutions, the party aimed to address societal challenges.

Harkimo is also a member of parliamentary group to monitor the implementation of the national and EU climate policy and their implementation, and to ensure the achievement of the climate neutrality target and climate justice.

Presidential elections 2024:

Planning to focus on the economy, Harkimo emphasizes its role in national security. Harkimo’s economic agenda includes promoting Finnish exports, and he vows to immediately discuss economic challenges with Prime Minister Petteri Orpo if elected. He stresses the importance of economic stability for national defence. Harkimo’s campaign reflects his blend of business proficiency and political experience, challenging traditional norms in Finnish politics.

Harry Harkimo envisions a presidency with greater citizen involvement, where he seeks to meet people and gather their opinions on crucial decisions, drawing inspiration from the current president, Sauli Niinistö.

Harkimo sees the president as an “export locomotive,” actively promoting Finnish exports during international travels. He proposes a unique “export fist” responsible for groundwork, identifying beneficial companies before official visits. Key target countries include Britain, the United States, and all NATO nations.

On defence, Harkimo advocates for Finland’s full commitment to NATO, emphasizing readiness to send soldiers abroad if needed. He suggests involving the entire age group, providing diverse roles beyond the military for those opting not to join.

In terms of global geopolitics, Harkimo views the world as divided between China and its allies and the United States and the European Union. He believes the EU should expand to counterbalance influences and actively decide on reducing China’s impact.

Beyond foreign policy, Harkimo expresses concerns over climate change and its potential consequences, especially on a continent like Africa.

Harry Harkimo has also asserted that Finland should withdraw from the demilitarization agreement concerning the Åland Islands. Additionally, he advocates for the closure of the Russian consulate in Mariehamn.

Persona and politics:

Harkimo’s outspoken nature and eagerness to articulate his viewpoints have rendered him a polarizing figure on occasion, yet earned him a steadfast and devoted following.

He urges embracing the “edge of the cliff” mindset, emphasizing that replicating stress-inducing experiences makes challenges more manageable, while not endorsing recklessness.  He is known for making intuitive and quick decisions, simplifying complex matters and eschewing in-depth analyses. A good listener, especially when interested, Harkimo has been described as someone who values succinct ideas, preferring a 15-second summary.

Harkimo’s politics has encouraged right-wing politics in Finland. As the leader of Movement Now, Harkimo opposed tax hikes and advocated for reducing government ownership stakes in businesses. His vision included a comprehensive reform of Finland’s economic policy, incorporating a green transition through tax-free special economic zones.

Active in national politics, Harkimo supported Sauli Niinistö of the Coalition Party in the 2012 presidential election, contributing 10,000 euros through Hjallis Promotion Oy.

Harry Harkimo had earlier endorsed an interpellation aligned with the Finns Party, seeking a vote of no confidence in the government’s immigration policies. He emphasized the importance of national legislation promoting controlled immigration.

Harkimo had expressed his view on local elected officials taking product placement deals as social marketers, stating that he did not necessarily see ethical concerns in such arrangements.

Challenges:

Harkimo faced criticism for ties to sanctioned Russian elites through his ownership of Jokerit. Despite selling the club in 2019, concerns arose as he continued as a parliamentarian with close ties to individuals suspected of money laundering. Notably, he sold the Helsinki ice hockey arena to Russian-Finnish businessmen in 2013 for 35 million euros. Harry Harkimo had told Helsingin Sanomat that his previous dealings with Russian businessmen was a “mistake”.

Harkimo’s journey hasn’t been without challenges. He struggled with dyslexia during his school years. Beyond academic difficulties, he also faced bullying, which left a profound impact it had on him. Harkimo has been vocal about the effects of school bullying can linger into adulthood, resonating with others who have faced similar struggles

Other ventures:

Harkimo’s impact on Finnish ice hockey was profound, chairing the Jokerit team in Helsinki from 1991 to 2019. Concerned about continuity while sharing the Helsinki Ice Hall, he envisioned and led the construction of the team’s dedicated home arena, Hartwall Areena. Venturing beyond hockey, Harkimo bought PK-35, transforming it into FC Jokerit, bridging the gap between hockey and football enthusiasts. His media presence included hosting the talk show “With Hjallis” on MTV3 and leading the Finnish version of The Apprentice.

Despite his involvement in politics, Harkimo has said that he does not identify with the most famous presenter of The Apprentice, former US President Donald Trump, stating that the only commonality is the television show itself.

Harry Harkimo demonstrated his sailing expertise by crewing on Skopbank in the 1981–82 Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race. He achieved third place in the 1986–87 BOC Challenge and later served as a crewmember on Belmont Finland in the 1989–90 Whitbread Race.

Interesting quotes:

“The cooperation with the Russians was a mistake, and the Jokerit hockey team should not have been taken to the Russian KHL league.”

“We need to learn to talk about both humanitarian and work-related immigration without immediately turning the conversation into a discussion about discrimination.”  “Uniper’s net sales are nearly 80 billion euros. It’s a huge and powerful player in the European energy market and simultaneously a key factor in the fight against climate change. Uniper’s carbon dioxide emissions are higher than Finland’s.”

“I hate from the bottom of my heart when politicians say things they don’t mean. And that they can’t say what they think. You have to twist and turn and talk in complicated ways. Often, at the end, they don’t even know what they were talking about.   What will happen in the next four years? Nothing. Except that the debt rally continues, the Social Security mess deepens, people can’t get by on their wages and depending on the composition of the government, we will have markets full of strikers in the fall.”

“We have been fighting with Corona for almost four years, but it feels like nothing has been learned. Vaccinations for people over 65 were started too late and now the traffic jam is huge and people are standing in lines for hours in the rain. Digital appointment doesn’t work or you don’t know how to use it.”

“Finland needs a new political climate. Accountability for tax funds and a complete change of direction in the use of public funds. The focus must always be in the interest of Finland, not the parties. The old system doesn’t work. This cannot continue.”

“Our room for maneuvre has decreased a lot from before, because we now belong to these two (EU and NATO) and then we have a big defence cooperation with the USA. Foreign and security policy must be related to EU and NATO policy.”

“The Kela compensation must be increased in order to make basic health care work better and to break up treatment queues. Companies as a whole must be seen as clearly playing a more significant role in the functioning healthcare system.”

Sonali Telang – Helsinki Times

Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi