Minority language planning in a growing metropolitan area

Björn Sundell

10 December 2009

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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

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?

24.04.23 7

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

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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”

Opinion poll conducted in Nov. 2008 21

Svenskans ställning i FinlandRuotsin kielen asema Suomessa

Omnibus November/Marraskuu II 20089197 RKO/JEL/ca/vpl

Jag tycker att det svenska språket är en väsentlig del av det finländska samhälletMinusta ruotsin kieli on olennainen osa suomalaista yhteiskuntaa

n=alla respondenter / kaikki vastaajat

2008, n=1012

1996, n=967

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100%

26 44

34 40

Helt av samma åsiktTäysin samaa mieltä

Delvis av samma åsiktJokseenkin samaa mieltä

Jag tycker att det är skada om svenska språket och kulturen skulle dö ut i FinlandMielestäni olisi vahinko, jos ruotsin kieli ja kulttuuri häviäisivät Suomesta

n=alla respondenter / kaikki vastaajat

2008, n=1012

1996, n=967

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100%

35 38

37 35

Helt av samma åsiktTäysin samaa mieltä

Delvis av samma åsiktJokseenkin samaa mieltä

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October 2009

The status of the Swedish language in the metropolitan areaA Magma-report on the alternatives facing the minority, some 80 000 people in 14 municipalities, in the greater Helsinki area. Published in October 2009

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

“self-control” 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?

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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