The Finnish election is heating up as Pekka Haavisto, Finland’s former minister of foreign affairs, goes head-to-head with former Prime Minister Alexander Stubb, winner of the first round of the election. Haavisto, belonging to the Green League Party, also ran for presidency in 2012 and 2018. However, in this year’s election, he is running as an independent candidate while also promoting his DJ skills and cherishing his sexuality. “You could see that people could never imagine that gay men could be elected. But this has been changing,” he says.
Haavisto, alongside his partner, Antonio Flores, has been hosting campaigns at various night clubs, gathering big names from the Finnish music scene to perform. He himself plays a set after under the name “DJ Pexi.” The couple’s relationship has already positively influenced Finnish opinions on same-gender relationships.
Haavisto attributes this shift in public acceptance to the fact that, “…They can see that somebody at the top of power can also represent these kinds of values.” Not only does he bring support to the LBGTQ community, but his presidential agenda also focuses on bringing the country together to promote both internal and external safety. “Issues like racism and hate speech and the mood in the population, how to keep Finland united, is a big topic for the future,” he says. On top of eliminating discrimination, his campaigning heavily centers around issues of national security.
Finland, which recently abandoned years of military nonalignment by joining NATO in April, has redirected its attention to security cooperation with the U.S. and continued support towards military and humanitarian assistance in Ukraine. If elected, Haavisto’s role as president will include facilitating foreign and security policy, as well as commanding the Finnish military.
He stresses the need for unity through the dissipation of hate speech against minority groups and a growth in tolerance, which will be the keys to national security as foreign threats rise. Hopefully, this gay DJ will help turn airstrikes into open mics and drop some beats instead of bombs, all while embracing inclusivity in the political and cultural sectors.
Photo courtesy of social media
