I am an IT professional with a passion for politics. I am 36 years old and live in Puotila with my spouse and children. I hold a Master of Arts degree in literature and computer science.

I first became interested in societal issues as a teenager. In my early twenties, I joined the Left Alliance through student politics. Previously, I have worked as an education policy expert for a student union and held several positions of trust. For several years, I served as the chair of the Kallio branch of the Left Alliance, and I am currently the vice-chair of Helsinki’s digitalization committee.

My political themes

A Good School for Every Child

Every neighborhood school should be the best school for a child. Schools face an overwhelming number of expectations and constant reforms. Now is the time to focus on the basics—learning and teaching. As a surplus-budget municipality, Helsinki has the opportunity to invest in our children’s future.

All children deserve reasonable class sizes and teachers who enjoy their work. Specialized programs or language choices must not become a detour to so-called better schools—every school in Helsinki should be the best school.

Schools must have local decision-making power to act in the best interest of their students. The same model does not fit every school, even if the same goals must be met. Principals should have a reasonable number of subordinates, and pedagogical leadership should be strengthened.

The development of school buildings must continue even after they are taken into use so that the structure supports education rather than dictates it.

Quality in Services, Not Just Proximity

Helsinki has centralized family counseling centers and other social and health services into large hubs, promising that help and expertise can now be found under one roof. However, people are still being sent from one place to another—only now, the distances are longer. For example, postnatal check-ups are available, but instead of the nearest clinic, mothers from the eastern parts of the city must travel all the way to Ruoholahti.

The promise is that large centers will lead to better services, more stable staffing, and fewer bureaucratic hurdles. The achievement of these goals must be evaluated from the customers’ perspective.

If these goals are not being met in practice, we must be willing to bring essential services back closer to different residential areas. Local expertise should be reintroduced into social and health services by strengthening connections with local organizations. Clinics and other social and health services should at least be able to guide people to other municipal services—and ideally, to a wider range of relevant services available in the area.’

Demanding Results from Digitalization

Helsinki must never again make headlines for data breaches or multi-million-euro IT projects that fail before completion. In the next term, digital development must focus on the fundamentals—improving the usability of existing systems and ensuring a solid digital infrastructure.

The digital strategy must align with the city’s overall strategy and include measurable goals.

Digitalization is always a transformation of work, requiring leadership, planning, and thorough implementation. The internal workload caused by changes must be made visible and incorporated into planning.

Authorities are shifting their communication primarily to digital channels. If services are practically mandatory to use online, they must be accessible, user-friendly, and genuinely save time and effort for both residents and employees.

No more massive software development projects. Instead, the focus should be on achieving time savings through smaller-scale improvements—automating and streamlining processes.

Enhancing digital skills across the entire workforce is the only way to ensure a secure, accessible, and truly beneficial future through digitalization.

Making Itäkeskus and East Helsinki More Family-Friendly

One in four Helsinki residents lives in the east. Stalled or abandoned construction projects have left areas like Itäkeskus waiting far too long for necessary updates. At the same time, East Helsinki has a thriving entrepreneurial and cultural scene. The city must take residents’ concerns about neglected surroundings seriously and boldly use different approaches to advance projects in collaboration with local stakeholders.

A dedicated family center near Itäkeskus, open in the afternoons as well, would benefit the community. Long-term, multilingual activities that bring people together are needed. The city should expand its programs to include more multilingual play activities.

East Helsinki’s transport solutions must prioritize safe, accessible, and pleasant walking and cycling routes. Children do not travel by car, and nearby nature areas are not appealing if reaching them means navigating slushy intersections and unbearable traffic noise.

Diverse residential development is welcome in well-connected, already-built areas. With new residents come services and urban life.

Smart Metropolitan Policy

Helsinki is part of Finland’s only metropolitan area, and its population is growing. We cannot afford shortsighted debates about closing borders or turning back the clock. If Helsinki stops growing, it signals stagnation for the entire country’s economy and development. Decision-makers must balance sustainable growth with avoiding short-term, shortsighted policies. The unique characteristics of the metropolitan region must be recognized both within Helsinki and at the national level.

Helsinki needs a supervised drug consumption room pilot to support the development of addiction services. The city’s drug situation is alarming, and we must implement all evidence-based measures, from prevention to treatment pathways and urban planning.

Helsinki and the entire Uusimaa region need an updated, shared vision for education needs. Too many young people are forced to move elsewhere for higher education opportunities, and the economy suffers when adults lack access to continuing education.

Cross-municipal planning and agreements on housing, transportation, and especially healthcare under HUS must be expanded. After all, environmental values and even people’s everyday commutes do not stop at municipal borders.