Transcript MAGMA - FINLANDS SVENSKA TRANKESMEDJA

Minority language planning in a growing
metropolitan area
Björn Sundell
10 December 2009
Magma, Finland´s Swedish think tank
• Magma´s objective is to identify obstacles, analyse
problems and stimulate debate on issues of relevance
to the Swedish-speaking minority
• Magma is a politically independent institute
• Magma is financed by 5 non-political cultural
foundations with an interest in promoting bilingualism
and the Swedish language in Finland
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A little big country in the north
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Facts and history
• Finland has a population of 5,3 million
• 4,8 million speak Finnish as mother language, 300 000 Swedish and
200 000 speak various other languages
• The Finnish and Swedish populations have lived in Finland for more
than 800 years
• Finland was a part of Sweden until 1808, then conquered by Russia
and ruled by Russia for 108 years, independent since 1917
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Venice or St Petersburg?
18.7.2015
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The minority is spread out
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Legal status
• According to the constitution, Finland has two official languages,
Finnish and Swedish
• This means that both language groups are, in principle, equal. The law
is written in both languages, basic and secondary education is
offered in both languages in certain regions, state and municipal
officials should (where relevant) speak some Swedish
• Swedish is a compulsory language in Finnish schools (basic
knowledge)
• One region, the Åland Island has been granted autonomy
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Problems in real life
• Circumstances differ from one part of the country to
another
• Finns usually do not want to learn Swedish
• Therefore, most civil servants (state and local), cannot
communicate in Swedish. Nor can most people in the
health services.
• Promises granted by the law cannot be fulfilled
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The south coast and the greater
Helsinki area
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The south coast
• Many separate municipalities with elected local
councils. Independent local authorities.
• Large area – 250 kilometers from east to west
• Big language variations: Tammisaari-Ekenäs has
80 % Swedish speakers, Siuntio-Sjundeå has 38
% and Lohja-Lojo has 4 %
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The Greater Helsinki Area
• Total population 1,3 million
• 81 000 (6.2 %) speak Swedish
• 14 municipalities with separate elected local councils
• Some very urban, some industry-based, some quite rural
• Big language variations between 14 municipalities
• Sipoo-Sibbo and Kauniainen-Grankulla have 39 % Swedish
speakers, Helsinki-Helsingfors 6 %, Vantaa-Vanda 3 %.
• The number of immigrants was low until 1998, but it is now
rapidly rising
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Immigration on the rise in
greater Helsinki region
Huvudstadsregionen
180,000
160,000
140,000
120,000
100,000
Svensksspråkiga
80,000
Främmande språk
60,000
40,000
20,000
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
0
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The challenges
• Increased immigration will change language priorities.
• Economic crisis will cause very big cuts in expenditure.
• Schools and hospitals will be merged or closed.
Administrative staff is reduced. Public services are cut.
• This very much affects services in the Swedish language.
• No Finnish phenomenon. The same trend will be seen all
over Europe where minority interests are at stake.
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The challenges
• Cooperation between the 14 municipalities will increase
• Some municipalities will merge, but which and how we do
not know yet
• Many municipalities fight hard for their independence as
the government pushes for larger units and mergers
• Our strategy is to analyse all possible alternatives and the
effects on the language minority
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The starting point is quite good
• We have an excellent educational system for both language groups
(Finland tops the PISA comparisons)
• There are private cultural foundations which support cultural activities
and books & digital material for educational purposes
• The public sector in Finland is one of the less indebted in Europe
• Street signs in bilingual cities are bilingual
• There is public service TV & radio in Swedish and private newspapers
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...but the outlook is not good
• Cuts in public services hit the Swedish population
• TV &radio & newspapers presently face big losses and cutbacks
• Increasing hostility among the Finnish majority (politicians and
ordinary people) towards the minority
• Forthcoming mergers between municipalities cause great uncertainty
• Proposals to merge Finnish and Swedish schools cause alarm
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What are we
The Swedish speaking minority is not
Swedish by nationality. We are Finns who
speak Swedish.
In a football game between Finland and
Sweden Swedish-speakers in Finland will,
without hesitation, support the Finnish
team.
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The strategy
• When it comes to mergers in the metropolitan area our strategy at
Magma is to analyse all possible alternatives and the effects on the
language minority. In October a new report was published
• We also conduct opinion polls in order to get a feel for what is
possible and what is not (Monitoring support & opposition & general
attitudes among both the majority and minority)
• We conduct studies on various subjects regarding the effects of
ongoing structural change
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”I think that the Swedish language is an
important feature in the Finnish society”
Jag tycker att det svenska språket är en väsentlig del av det finländska samhället
Minusta ruotsin kieli on olennainen osa suomalaista yhteiskuntaa
n=alla respondenter / kaikki vastaajat
Helt av samma åsikt
Täysin samaa mieltä
1996, n=967
Delvis av samma åsikt
Jokseenkin samaa mieltä
26
44
34
2008, n=1012
0
10
40
20
30
40
50
%
60
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100
Jag tycker att det är skada om svenska språket och kulturen skulle dö ut i Finland
Mielestäni olisi vahinko, jos ruotsin kieli ja kulttuuri häviäisivät Suomesta
n=alla respondenter / kaikki vastaajat
Helt av samma åsikt
Täysin samaa mieltä
1996, n=967
Delvis av samma åsikt
Jokseenkin samaa mieltä
35
2008, n=1012
38
37
0
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Omnibus November/Marraskuu II 2008
9197 RKO/JEL/ca/vpl
Opinion poll conducted in Nov. 2008
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35
30
40
50
%
60
70
80
90
100
Svenskans ställning i Finland
Ruotsin kielen asema Suomessa
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October 2009
The status of the Swedish language in
the metropolitan area
A Magma-report on the alternatives facing the minority, some 80 000
people in 14 municipalities, in the greater Helsinki area. Published in
October 2009
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The report contains:
-- a worst case scenario from a minority point of view
- the best alternative
- suggestions for good minority solutions regardless of
which municipalities are merged (pilot project proposals,
cross-border solutions for the minority, web site)
- estimates on possible changes in the political structures
- challenges regarding education and health care
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Efficiency and cost-saving arguments
lead to reduced Swedish services
In the
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A minority with many organisations
• SFP, The Swedish People´s Party is reacting fast to any political
proposals that harm the minority. SFP has been in the government
for decades.
• Folktinget, the Swedish Assembly, participates in the law-drafting
process. It monitors political decisions and issues statements if they
discriminate against the minority. Folktinget also supports
individuals who feel discriminated.
• Several cultural foundations, such as the Swedish Cultural
foundation, support projects, both small scale (individuals) and large
(groups, educational material, media). Based on private donations.
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The ”opposition”
• Hate campaigns, especially on the internet. No “selfcontrol” on the net.
• Certain politicians have their own counterstrategy or
hidden agenda. They gain support from their electorate
through populistic proposals and measures
- The case of the city of Kokkola/Karleby
- The closing of Ekenäs Maternity Hospital
• Pure indifference or ignorance
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Need for fast reaction
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Can we win or are we
losing the battle at a time
of heavy cost cutting?
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Our task
• Some political proposals are very much ad hoc – reactions
to the need to save money and costs. Therefore we as a
minority often have to react suddenly, in an ad hoc way.
We have to act fast.
• Apart from fast reaction to perceived threats we need good
strategies based on solid research. We need a long-term
approach.
• Vision 2030
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Our message
• Our message to the majority is not just that “you have to grant us the
services we are entitled to”. As a minority, we shouldn´t just demand
and complain. We can be constructive and offer pilot projects and
ideas that are useful to the majority.
• At Magma we try to underline the fact that modern metropolitan areas
are multicultural. Monolingual solutions do not foster innovation or
creativity which are the landmarks of thriving metropolitan regions.
• We will always emphasize that we, the Swedish-speaking minority, are
the gateway to Scandinavia. The gateway aspect is our great
advantage.
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