Local elections recruitment drive begins
With local government elections due in the autumn, political parties are looking to put together their candidate rosters. Some parties have clear requirements for the candidates who hope to represent them at the polls.
The vast majority of hopefuls who run in municipals are either active or well known in their parties. In many cases, candidates contact the local organization themselves. In other cases party activists recruit people they know. Candidates may even apply via an online application form.
Recruitments mostly take place at the local level, and party headquarters don't necessarily know what happens on the ground. In the Helsinki suburb of Siuntio, the Finns Party launched an outreach campaign for candidates - a campaign that the party secretary didn't know about or even fully endorse.
As a rule political parties want their candidates to tow the party line on key issues. However the Left Alliance has so far been the only group to specifically require its candidates to reject violence and racism.
In its recruitment drive the Swedish People's party has loosened its language requirement, allowing more Finnish speaking members to represent the group, and even opening up to Sami speaking candidates in Lapland.
Political parties have until September 18 to finalise their candidate lists for the municipal elections.
