Finns Party leader and Finance Minister Riikka Purra has announced that she will seek another term at the party's helm during the party congress scheduled for mid-June. Party Secretary Harri Vuorenpää and second deputy chair Mauri Peltokangas will also stand for re-election.
Third deputy chair and MEP Sebastian Tynkkynen has yet to confirm whether he will seek another term, while first deputy chair Leena Meri was not present at the press conference where the announcements were made.
Standing alongside her fellow leaders, Purra expressed confidence that the party's popularity would rebound.
"There has been election fatigue in our field. Defending government policy is harder than being in opposition," she said.
Purra suggested that Finns Party voters are more volatile compared to the more stable support base of parties like the National Coalition Party, the Swedish People's Party, or the Christian Democrats, whose support has not dropped as steeply under government responsibility.
Vuorenpää said the party takes its latest slump seriously. The Finns Party, now two years into government, performed poorly in the April regional and municipal elections. This week, its support fell by four percentage points to 11.4 percent, according to the latest poll.
Tynkkynen stressed the need to clarify the party's agenda to its supporters:
"In the future, we need to be better able to explain to our own people what we are doing."
Leadership criticises media, denies major policy shifts
Despite the drop in support, Purra said the party would not make any "sudden changes" or "reverse" its political direction.
Instead, she said, efforts would focus on strengthening communications.
"The strategies that the party leadership is thinking about are not things that we share with the media."
She pointed to the party's success in achieving key goals in immigration policy, suggesting this needed to be better communicated to members and potential voters.
The party's leadership also criticised the media for failing to convey the Finns Party's message. Tynkkynen said that while a few strong figures on social media had carried the load, broader effort was needed:
"It is a question of survival for our party. It's difficult to get the message through the media."
Purra echoed this sentiment, claiming that while she, as finance minister, receives coverage, the party's core policy initiatives are often left out.
Asked whether the collapse in support was due more to communication failures or the government's policy decisions, Purra said it was a "kokonaisuus" – a combination of both.
Party council to meet at critical moment
The Finns Party's council — made up of regional representatives and chairpersons — is set to convene on Saturday in Helsinki at what many view as a turning point for the party.
The gathering is expected to include discussions on the reasons behind the party's dwindling support and possible adjustments to its political direction.
Purra has previously argued that the primary reason for the drop in popularity lies in messaging. She pointed to the media successfully placing blame for economic and unemployment woes squarely on the government.
MP Teemu Keskisarja has also announced his candidacy for the position of first deputy chair.