The Finnish Municipal elections are to be held on Sunday 13th June, 2021 after being rescheduled due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic which has adverse effects on the economy of many nations. The election was originally scheduled to be held 18th April. The last municipal election was held in 2017 and was won by the National Coalition Party with 20.7 percent share of the votes. This year, more candidates from Immigrant backgrounds will be running for the election as first timers. Diaspora Glitz Magazine was able to interview 10 of the candidates and Tracy Mantan, a candidate of SDP who is based in Jyväskylä is one of them.
1. Please introduce yourself to us?
My name is Tracy Mantan. I am 25 years old. I am from Congo and I live in Jyväskylä. I moved to Finland with my family in 2011. I completed high school in Finland. At the moment, I am a second-year student at Jyväskylä University and I’m in the Faculties of Human Sciences and as a minor, I’m studying economics.
2. What triggered your pursuit of a career in politics?
I have been interested in politics since I was 16. I have always wondered about political issues. Coming from where politics is present in our lives, it was easy to get in. I got into politics because I want to bring changes.
3. What did you see in SDP that made you pitch your tent with the party?
I joined the SDP in 2017. I wanted to be a member of a party that has the same values as me. Social democrats build a society and world where people are equal and protect the environment. These are values that are close to my heart because democracy and solidarity are essential in a good society. Everyone can act according to their abilities and endurance for the well-being of people and the environment.
4. Do you speak Finnish?
I speak Finnish very well and I study in Finnish.
5. What do you cherish most about your community?
I love the solidarity of our community. I think by sticking together we can accomplish great things.
6. Help us understand the type of leader you will be by describing your two highest priorities for change in your community, in the short and long term?
I want to be a leader who listens and seeks to provide solutions where needed. If I am elected I can be the voice of my community and my party. I want to make the change where is needed. The themes that are close to my heart are education, work, and the environment. It’s difficult to find a job when you arrive new because you don’t understand the language. Discrimination is one of the factors that makes this problem more difficult. I would like to see a society where workers are not hired by their skin color, their religion, or their origin, but they must be hired by their skills. I believe if we work on this we can make things better.
7. What is your perspective on the best ways to collaborate with other levels of government to ensure a sustainable and prosperous future for your community?
I think the best way to work with other levels of government is to be open. To say what is wrong and what needs to be improved.
8. In recent time, no Congolese in Finland has been in the spotlight politically, do you see yourself as the one to change the narrative?
If that’s the case, as a young lady, I also want to encourage other young people from my community to get into politics. If I am elected I think it will also motivate other young people who want to get in to try.
9. Any message for the voters from the immigrant background?
I want to tell them that the only way to make an impact is to vote. I would also like to encourage them to run for the municipal elections.
