Alongside the crisis, the political culture of debate has turned extremely ugly. Genuine human distress is met with arrogance and malice. People affected by cuts and NGOs dedicated to helping the vulnerable are belittled and called names. The discourse gravitates toward hostile confrontation whose objectives are completely detached from the mandate voters granted their representatives. Speaking insultingly about groups of people or dunking on those across the political aisle adds nothing to society, let alone builds it. Instead of resolving everyday problems and setting forward-looking visions, citizens are forced to watch degrading rhetorical mud-wrestling, making the entire democratic decision-making process look ridiculous. It is no wonder that the party of non-voters is so appealing to Finns.

I want to believe that the current situation is only a temporary nightmare. We have the chance to get through this. We have witnessed the failure of an emotion-driven narrative politics detached from societal reality. It is time to return to a politics that puts researched knowledge, facts, and societal well-being first. Instead of seeing people as line-item expenses, we must recognize the potential within us and all the opportunities that a healthy, thriving society enables. The small miracle that the Finnish welfare society is considered to be across the world was not built on invalidation and calculated employment effects.

I had the privilege of growing up in that Finland. The welfare state gave me the opportunity to pursue hobbies, gain an education, and turn my dreams into reality, regardless of the circumstances in my childhood home. I am deeply grateful to that society that stood up for the everyday person, and that is the legacy I want to carry forward in politics.

A massive challenge lies before us. Well-being cannot be restored by blaming individual groups of people or by demanding that people work jobs that do not exist. Articulating a politics of hope—or believing in it—can feel difficult when current limitations are portrayed as inevitable. Yet it is vital to remember that these are always political decisions: deliberate choices that do not come from somewhere outside ourselves. An ambitious, forward-looking social policy that respects human dignity is possible. For decades, it has been Finland's trademark. That is why I am in politics: I believe things can also be done well.