Finnish Municipal Election Candidates 2017: Foreign Language Speakers

The study charted the background and motives of foreign language speaking election candidates as well as their networks and support for standing for the election. First, reasons behind the decision to stand for election in the municipal elections (e.g. the will to help others, to acquire useful skills for work, to implement the political values of their party) and what or who (e.g. friends, trade union, employer) had encouraged the candidates to stand for election were charted. The respondents' political opinions and ideology were examined with attitudinal statements regarding the direction of Finland's future, such as lower taxation or more environmentally friendly policies. Influences behind the respondents' political opinions were also examined (e.g. how important their friends, spouse or the media were in influencing their opinions). The respondents were asked whose representative they thought they would be as local councillors (e.g. those who had voted for them or all residents of the municipality), their satisfaction in democracy in Finland and their municipality as well as trust in various institutions (e.g. current local councillors, Finland's government). The respondents' political campaign was surveyed with questions concerning, for example, how much time and money they had spent on the campaign and how the funding had been spent (e.g. for campaign video or radio/TV advertising). The respondents were asked whether they had stood for election in various different elections before, whether they had been selected in those elections and how many times. The factors behind them being chosen as a candidate of a party or constituency association (e.g. professional experience, position within the party, extensive local network of acquaintances) were examined. The respondents were also asked whether they currently held or had previously held positions of trust in their municipality of residence or participated in the work of different organisations. Finally, the help the respondents received from their family, friends or acquaintances in different aspects of their political campaign (e.g. coordinating schedule and budget, maintaining social media accounts, emotional support) was charted. Background variables included, among others, the respondent's gender, age, information on their own and their parents' country of birth, age when moved to Finland, reasons for moving to Finland, mother tongue, Finnish and Swedish language skills, level of education, type of municipality of residence, occupational status, trade union membership, left-right political self-placement, income, perceived social class and religious affiliation.