The Blue-and-Black Movement (, SML) is a
neo-fascist
Neo-fascism is a post-World War II far-right ideology which includes significant elements of fascism. Neo-fascism usually includes ultranationalism, ultraconservatism, racial supremacy, right-wing populism, authoritarianism, nativism, xe ...
registered political party in
Finland
Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...
.
The party was born out of row over
ethnonationalism
Ethnic nationalism, also known as ethnonationalism, is a form of nationalism wherein the nation and nationality are defined in terms of ethnicity, with emphasis on an ethnocentric (and in some cases an ethnostate/ethnocratic) approach to variou ...
in the
Finns Party
The Finns Party ( , PS; , Sannf), formerly known as the True Finns, is a right-wing populist political party in Finland. It was founded in 1995 following the dissolution of the Finnish Rural Party.
The party achieved its electoral breakthro ...
, which led into the
Finns Party Youth
Finns Party Youth (, Swedish: ''Finsk Ungdom'') is the former youth wing of the Finns Party, a political party in Finland. The youth wing was officially founded in 2006. However, Finns Party decided to cut ties with Finns Party Youth due to the ...
disintegrating and representatives being expelled from the party. The party's name and colors have been inspired by the
far-right
Far-right politics, often termed right-wing extremism, encompasses a range of ideologies that are marked by ultraconservatism, authoritarianism, ultranationalism, and nativism. This political spectrum situates itself on the far end of the ...
Lapua Movement
The Lapua Movement (, ) was a radical Finnish nationalist, fascist, pro- German and anti-communist political movement founded in and named after the town of Lapua. Led by Vihtori Kosola, it turned towards far-right politics after its founding ...
and
Patriotic People's Movement
Patriotic People's Movement (, IKL, ) was a Finnish nationalist and anti-communist political party. IKL was the successor of the previously banned Lapua Movement. It existed from 1932 to 1944 and had an ideology similar to its predecessor, exce ...
. By April 2022, the party had received the 5,000 signatures needed to register as a political party.
The
Supreme Administrative Court of Finland
The Supreme Administrative Court of Finland (, ) is the highest court in the Finnish administrative court system, parallel to the Supreme Court of Finland. Its jurisdiction covers the legality of the decisions of government officials, and its ...
(KHO) de-registered the Blue-and-Black Movement as a party on 23 April 2024. The court found that the party program is
anti-democratic and disrespects
human rights
Human rights are universally recognized Morality, moral principles or Social norm, norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both Municipal law, national and international laws. These rights are considered ...
, and thus is contrary to the
Finnish Constitution and the
European Union's charter on human rights. The party had modified its party program after registration, restoring objectionable content that had previously been removed.
On 14 May 2024, the Blue-and-Black Movement re-applied for the party register, and recollected the necessary 5,000 signatures before May 2025, by which time they needed to gather the signatures.
Ideology
The Blue-and-Black Movement can be described as a
neo-fascist
Neo-fascism is a post-World War II far-right ideology which includes significant elements of fascism. Neo-fascism usually includes ultranationalism, ultraconservatism, racial supremacy, right-wing populism, authoritarianism, nativism, xe ...
party, the party defines itself also as
radical
Radical (from Latin: ', root) may refer to:
Politics and ideology Politics
*Classical radicalism, the Radical Movement that began in late 18th century Britain and spread to continental Europe and Latin America in the 19th century
*Radical politics ...
and
traditionalist. According to the
Helsingin Sanomat
, abbreviated ''HS'' and colloquially known as , is the largest subscription newspaper in Finland and the Nordic countries, owned by Sanoma. Except after certain holidays, it is published daily. Its name derives from that of the Finnish capital ...
election compass, the party is
left-wing
Left-wing politics describes the range of Ideology#Political ideologies, political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy either as a whole or of certain social ...
and
national conservative
National conservatism is a nationalist variant of conservatism that concentrates on upholding national and cultural identity, communitarianism and the public role of religion. It shares aspects of traditionalist conservatism and social conserva ...
, which according to chairman Tuukka Kuru is accurate.
According to historian Oula Silvennoinen, who is also known for his work on Finnish co-operation with the Nazis during World War Two, the party is ideologically
neo-fascist
Neo-fascism is a post-World War II far-right ideology which includes significant elements of fascism. Neo-fascism usually includes ultranationalism, ultraconservatism, racial supremacy, right-wing populism, authoritarianism, nativism, xe ...
.
Foreign and security policy
The Blue-and-Black Movement in relation to foreign policy, stands for what it describes as "the principle of state independence" and
anti-globalism
Globalism has multiple meanings. In political science, it is used to describe "attempts to understand all of the interconnections of the modern world—and to highlight patterns that underlie (and explain) them". While primarily associated wit ...
, the party wishes for Finland to exit the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
and for Finland to strive for neutrality in foreign conflicts that are not vital to Finland's national interests.
The Blue-and-Black Movement also wishes for Finland to exit the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
, and for Finland to leave multinational military alliances, such as
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
.
The Blue-and-Black Movement staunchly positions itself as being opposed to
Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
and its foreign policy objectives. They seek for more cooperation with the
Baltic countries
The Baltic states or the Baltic countries is a geopolitical term encompassing Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. All three countries are members of NATO, the European Union, the Eurozone, and the OECD. The three sovereign states on the eastern co ...
,
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
and
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
, instead of commitments to the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
in relation to foreign policy.
The Blue-and-Black Movement especially wishes to promote closer ties with
Estonia
Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Ru ...
, due to shared
Baltic Finnic heritage between Finland and Estonia, this can be seen as
Pan-Finnicism
Pan-Finnicism (), also known as Pan-Fennicism or sometimes even referred to as Finno-Ugrism or even heimoaate () is a Pan-nationalism, pan-nationalist idea which advocates for the political or economic unification of the Finno-Ugric languages, Fi ...
to an extent.
The party is in favour of cooperation with
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
, in its opposition to the Russian Federation.
The party actively supports the
political recognition of the
State of Palestine
Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...
, and is opposed to and condemns European politicians that support
Israel
Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
. The Blue-and-Black Movement claims that Israel is the biggest promoter of migration from
developing countries
A developing country is a sovereign state with a less-developed Secondary sector of the economy, industrial base and a lower Human Development Index (HDI) relative to developed countries. However, this definition is not universally agreed upon. ...
to the
Western World
The Western world, also known as the West, primarily refers to various nations and state (polity), states in Western Europe, Northern America, and Australasia; with some debate as to whether those in Eastern Europe and Latin America also const ...
, and blames Israel for promoting and causing
Islamic extremism
Islamic extremism refers to extremist beliefs, behaviors and ideologies adhered to by some Muslims within Islam. The term 'Islamic extremism' is contentious, encompassing a spectrum of definitions, ranging from academic interpretations of Is ...
and various movements such as
Jihadism
Jihadism is a neologism for modern, armed militant Political aspects of Islam, Islamic movements that seek to Islamic state, establish states based on Islamic principles. In a narrower sense, it refers to the belief that armed confrontation ...
to become more popular and
radical
Radical (from Latin: ', root) may refer to:
Politics and ideology Politics
*Classical radicalism, the Radical Movement that began in late 18th century Britain and spread to continental Europe and Latin America in the 19th century
*Radical politics ...
.
The Blue-and-Black Movement wishes to promote the domestic
defense industry, and the party is in favour of
military conscription
Conscription, also known as the draft in the United States and Israel, is the practice in which the compulsory enlistment in a national service, mainly a military service, is enforced by law. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it conti ...
for men.
Demographic, religion and population policy
The Blue-and-Black Movement is sympathetic to
religion
Religion is a range of social system, social-cultural systems, including designated religious behaviour, behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, religious text, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics in religion, ethics, or ...
, especially to
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...
, which it sees as "preventing
nihilism
Nihilism () encompasses various views that reject certain aspects of existence. There have been different nihilist positions, including the views that Existential nihilism, life is meaningless, that Moral nihilism, moral values are baseless, and ...
stemming from
materialism
Materialism is a form of monism, philosophical monism according to which matter is the fundamental Substance theory, substance in nature, and all things, including mind, mental states and consciousness, are results of material interactions. Acco ...
and people-centeredness", it states that it respects both the integrity of the
Orthodox Church of Finland
The Orthodox Church in Finland (; ) is an autonomous Eastern Orthodox archdiocese of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. The church has a legal position as a national church in the country, along with the Evangelical Lutheran Church ...
and the
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland
The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland (; ) is a national church of Finland. It is part of the Lutheranism, Lutheran branch of Christianity. The church has a legal position as a national church in the country, along with the Orthodox Church o ...
. The Blue-and-Black Movement also wishes to support the study, interpretation and practice of
Finnic paganism
Baltic Finnic paganism, or Baltic Finnic polytheism was the indigenous religion of the various Baltic Finnic peoples, specifically the Finns, Estonians, Võros, Setos, Karelians, Veps, Izhorians, Votes and Livonians, prior to Christianisati ...
. The party states that it is in favour for the criminalization of circumcisions for religious reasoning, and for the criminalization of ritual slaughter of animals.
The Blue-and-Black Movement is also against the building of
mosques
A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard.
Originally, mosques were simple p ...
and
minarets
A minaret is a type of tower typically built into or adjacent to mosques. Minarets are generally used to project the Muslim call to prayer (''adhan'') from a muezzin, but they also served as landmarks and symbols of Islam's presence. They can h ...
, as the party views them to be foreign religions in public spaces.
The Blue-and-Black Movement is against
bilingualism
Multilingualism is the use of more than one language, either by an individual speaker or by a group of speakers. When the languages are just two, it is usually called bilingualism. It is believed that multilingual speakers outnumber monolin ...
, and therefore wishes to abandon
Pakkoruotsi as well.
However, minorities such as the Finland Swedes and the Sami would still be able to get services in municipalities where they form a sizable population, even if a minority.
They wish to remove the status of
Ã…land
Ã…land ( , ; ) is an Federacy, autonomous and Demilitarized zone, demilitarised region of Finland. Receiving its autonomy by a 1920 decision of the League of Nations, it is the smallest region of Finland by both area () and population (30,54 ...
having its official language as only Swedish-speaking. The Blue-and-Black Movement wishes to redirect subsidies from
minority languages
A minority language is a language spoken by a minority of the population of a territory. Such people are termed linguistic minorities or language minorities. With a total number of 196 sovereign states recognized internationally (as of 2019) and ...
, to promoting Finnish language in educational and cultural activities.
The Blue-and-Black Movement wishes to combat the
fertility crisis in Finland by promoting families to have children, the party proposes granting a zero-interest loan which gets paid off as the number of children increases.
The party also proposes income-tax reductions with more children. The Blue-and-Black Movement opposes
artificial insemination
Artificial insemination is the deliberate introduction of sperm into a female's cervix or uterine cavity for the purpose of achieving a pregnancy through in vivo fertilization by means other than sexual intercourse. It is a fertility treatment ...
and adoption rights for same-sex couples.
The Blue-and-Black Movement also wishes to ban the production, distribution and advertising of pornographic material and to limit access to
abortions
Abortion is the early termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. Abortions that occur without intervention are known as miscarriages or "spontaneous abortions", and occur in roughly 30–40% of all pregnanci ...
and
hormonal contraception
Hormonal contraception refers to birth control methods that act on the endocrine system. Almost all methods are composed of steroid hormones, although in India one selective estrogen receptor modulator is marketed as a contraceptive. The original ...
.
The Blue-and-Black Movement also wishes to limit the need for immigration, the party wishes to not accept humanitarian migrants and to leave "harmful international agreements" relating to migration.
The Blue-and-Black Movement also wishes to re-examine permits and citizenships granted since 1990, limit residence permits to a maximum of five years and to introduce a register which monitors the development of the foreign-originated populations.
Economic, environmental and monetary policy
The Blue-and-Black Movement wishes to abandon the Euro as the currency and instead re-adopt the
Markka.
The Blue-and-Black Movement wishes to promote self-suffiency in relation to
energy
Energy () is the physical quantity, quantitative physical property, property that is transferred to a physical body, body or to a physical system, recognizable in the performance of Work (thermodynamics), work and in the form of heat and l ...
and food production, the party also wishes to curb
unemployment
Unemployment, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is the proportion of people above a specified age (usually 15) not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for work du ...
and
poverty
Poverty is a state or condition in which an individual lacks the financial resources and essentials for a basic standard of living. Poverty can have diverse Biophysical environmen ...
, and wishes to make
part-time employment
A part-time job is a form of employment that carries fewer hours per week than a full-time job. Workers are commonly considered to be part-time if they work fewer than 30 hours per week. Their hours of work may be organised in shifts. The shifts a ...
profitable for citizens.
The party supports a
mixed economy
A mixed economy is an economic system that includes both elements associated with capitalism, such as private businesses, and with socialism, such as nationalized government services.
More specifically, a mixed economy may be variously de ...
, the party opposes equalization of incomes and centralization of jobs and services around cities.
The Blue-and-Black Movement supports
tripartism
Tripartism is an economic system of neo-corporatism based on a mixed economy and tripartite contracts between employers' organizations, trade unions, and the government of a country. Each is to act as a social partner to create economic policy ...
, in which "the government will negotiate together with employers' and workers' unions and organizations in separate strategies for economic and social policy."
The Blue-and-Black Movement supports the
preservation
Preservation may refer to:
Heritage and conservation
* Preservation (library and archival science), activities aimed at prolonging the life of a record while making as few changes as possible
* ''Preservation'' (magazine), published by the Nat ...
and
protection of the Finnish environment, and seeks measures that aim to influence people's
spending habits as a way to preserve the environment.
The party is not opposed to renewable energy sources, such as wind turbines, and sees them as viable in a global economy where sanctions are prevalent against
nationalist
Nationalism is an idea or movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the State (polity), state. As a movement, it presupposes the existence and tends to promote the interests of a particular nation,Anthony D. Smith, Smith, A ...
governments.
The party is
environmentalist
Environmentalism is a broad Philosophy of life, philosophy, ideology, and social movement about supporting life, habitats, and surroundings. While environmentalism focuses more on the environmental and nature-related aspects of Green politics, g ...
, seeking to promote a clean environment for every Finn and opposing consumption on a level that the environment cannot sustain.
Controversies
The
Ministry of Justice
A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice, is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...
considered the party program so radical and anti-democratic it had to be partially rewritten to be accepted for registration. For example, the party wanted an ethnic register of people living in Finland, to outlaw advocating for a non-traditional
family
Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...
, and to reconsider the citizenship of everyone made a citizen after 1990. These controversial planks were later re-added to the party program, which has caused the Ministry of Justice to request a court to revoke the Blue-and-Black Movement's status as a registered political party.
The party immediately caused controversy when chairman Tuukka Kuru stated that the SML opposes the visible presence of non-Christian religions and that the interests and
genetics
Genetics is the study of genes, genetic variation, and heredity in organisms.Hartl D, Jones E (2005) It is an important branch in biology because heredity is vital to organisms' evolution. Gregor Mendel, a Moravian Augustinians, Augustinian ...
of the Jews are separate and "in total conflict with those of the European native population". The comments were condemned by chairman of the Yaron Nadbornik.
Election results
Parliament of Finland
References
{{Finnish far right
Nationalist parties in Finland
Far-right politics in Finland
Fascism in Finland
Political parties established in 2021
2021 establishments in Finland
Neo-fascist parties
Right-wing antisemitism
Finns Party breakaway groups