A bit by accident, entirely in earnest: a journey into municipal politics
At Blic, we engage in active discussions about societal issues and current politics. Last December, as the municipal and regional elections were approaching, a few of my colleagues enthusiastically encouraged me to run in the spring elections. I had mentioned, almost in passing, that now that my children were becoming young adults, I would have more free time. My colleagues saw running for municipal office as a meaningful way to fill that time.
So, they tipped off a few parties about me as a potential candidate, even though I tried to downplay the idea: I had never belonged to a political party and, coming from a civil servant background, I had always valued political neutrality. As a content resident of Espoo, I hadn’t previously given much thought to local politics either. My career has been deeply societal, but its focus has been on strengthening Finland’s international standing and influencing national-level policy rather than municipal politics.
After some thought, my own hometown started to feel like a meaningful area to make a difference. After all, it’s where I return at the end of each workday, where I’ve raised my children, pursued hobbies, used services, and hopefully will grow old. It’s here that national policies are put into practice. It’s here that community is built, children are educated, and nature is enjoyed. And where new construction is debated! Espoo is also Finland’s second-largest city, a central engine of the national economy and success. I began to see my city with new eyes; on both sides of Länsiväylä, the wide city as one important whole.
Stepping out of old roles
Launching a campaign as a first-timer in politics turned out to be a surprisingly large project. I would compare it to starting a small business: you have to craft your message, invest financially, decide on your target audience, create social media channels, a website, and a brand; produce content and carve out time for campaigning alongside a full-time job — all in a few weeks. Answering election questionnaires took an enormous amount of time, but also challenged me to reflect deeply on the issues at hand.
A major mental hurdle for me was going public as a political candidate. I’m used to working behind the scenes in decision-making — both during my career as a civil servant and now as an advisor in societal influence. How would former colleagues and friends, acquaintances, and family react? How would I dare to record my thoughts on videos that could live online forever? But participating as a candidate in a democratic process was an amazing experience from the start. The encouragement and support from friends, acquaintances, and colleagues felt wholehearted. I received touching messages from people I hadn’t seen in years. Even distant acquaintances wanted to help by distributing flyers and social media posts. It surprised and delighted me.
The most enriching experience was stepping out of my familiar bubble, beyond my routines, and meeting different people I would never normally encounter in my everyday life. I was especially moved by conversations with elderly Espoo residents and immigrants. Both groups experience significant loneliness and isolation, a sense of uncertainty. The elderly and immigrants are both growing populations in the capital region. As communities, we must do better at including and supporting them.
The reward: growth and positions of trust
I had no idea what my chances were as a novice candidate. The result of a few months of campaigning was a pleasant surprise: I was elected as a deputy councilor in the Espoo City Council. I also received a good number of votes in the regional elections, although not enough to secure a reserve seat. In a city the size of Espoo and in Western Uusimaa, there are a huge number of positions of trust that the parties allocate among the election participants. I’m excited that I’ve been proposed for several such roles for the upcoming council term. Through them, I will have the chance to learn and contribute my professional experience to both municipal and regional decision-making.
Participating as a candidate in the democratic process ranks among the top ten life experiences for me. What a surprise! My perspective on Finland and Espoo widened, I stepped out of my comfort zone many times and even learned to enjoy it. There is much talk about harassment related to elections and hostility in politics. Fortunately, I encountered very little of that. There’s all sorts of noise on social media, but overall my experience was positive.
Based on my experience, I can warmly recommend participating in democratic processes as a candidate — or at the very least, as a voter. Local democracy matters!
Heidi Fransila
The author is a director at Blic.