Meeting with member of Finnish parliament Kimmo Kiljunen

Meeting Report

On October 28, we met with member of Finnish Parliament Kimmo Kiljunen, a representative of the SDP party. Although the party is currently in opposition, it enjoys the highest level of public support in the country, according to the latest polls.

The discussion, held in the Little Parliament building, was both friendly and informative for all participants. For example, Mr. Kiljunen was surprised to learn that the suspension of postal services with Russia is not a standard practice among European countries but rather an isolated measure. Out of 27 EU countries, only six have adopted this policy. In Estonia or Sweden, for instance, it is still possible to send a postcard to one’s parents. He agreed with us that this policy is unlikely to contribute to the stabilization of international relations and instead further separates families who already struggle to meet due to the closed border. He promised to raise this issue with his colleagues.
We were pleased to learn that Kimmo's stance on the closed border, the shutdown of schools and classes teaching the Russian language, as well as the discriminatory legislative proposal to ban real estate transactions for Russians, largely aligns with our own views.


*Update 28.11.2024

Alexander Union: MP Kimmo Kiljunen did nothing wrong.
Today, many of you have witnessed in the Finnish media the hostile attack launched against MP Kimmo Kiljunen, member of the Social Democratic Party and chairperson of the foreign affairs committee, who met recently with representatives of the Alexander Union.

Leading Finnish media uncovered the meeting, which was recorded on video,* and were outraged by Kiljunen's candid and independent views on the closed Finnish-Russian border and other issues that affect the daily lives of many Finns. Kiljunen clearly told us at the meeting that he was neither representing the foreign affairs committee nor his party, but himself as a person and as a member of parliament.

The Alexander Union believes that parliament is an institution where you can disagree and express your opinions, even if they don't coincide with the government's. Contrary to what Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said and the many stories in the media, MP Kiljunen's comments are in no way harmful to Finland or its security. In our opinion, the outrage and hostility towards Kiljunen's views, which are no different from the many human rights experts who criticized the pushback law, raises concerns about xenophobia and the prejudice against Russian speakers in Finland.

On behalf of the Alexander Union, we want to extend our support for MP Kiljunen and thank him for his courage for raising an important issue, and wish him well during these challenging and polarized times for our country.