Mikkeli’s Green election program is based on the Green party’s principles and local priorities.
We aim to combat biodiversity loss and the climate crisis, invest in education and employment, and promote equality and non-discrimination. Municipalities play a key role in building a sustainable future, and therefore, we invest in the green transition, circular economy, and welfare services. Culture, sports, and hobbies are for everyone, and we ensure that every resident can participate and have a say. Together, we are building a sustainable and fair Mikkeli!
1. We defend nature and the climate
Ecological sustainability, safeguarding biodiversity, and mitigating climate change are central to the development of Mikkeli. We want our city to grow sustainably and accessibly, reducing regional inequality and ensuring that nature remains vibrant for future generations. Therefore, we protect green spaces and easy access to local nature, as well as develop nature trails – including accessible ones – so that every citizen can enjoy nature.
To strengthen biodiversity, we will, among other things, transform traditional lawns into meadows that provide habitats for pollinators and other species. We will utilize grazing in landscape management, support traditional biotopes, and ensure the preservation of habitats for endangered species. In addition, we will transition from clear-cutting to continuous cover forest management, allowing forests to act as strong carbon sinks and provide habitats for many species.
We will keep local waters clean and combat pollution by reducing runoff loads. The quality of drinking water and groundwater reserves will be secured for the future. We do not allow mining operations or mineral exploration in the Mikkeli area, as we aim to protect our irreplaceably valuable waters, such as Lake Saimaa and Lake Puula. Decision-making must consider that the impacts of mining extend beyond municipal borders.
Our climate goal is ambitious: Mikkeli commits to carbon neutrality by 2030 and carbon negativity thereafter. This means reducing emissions and strengthening carbon sinks and sustainable solutions. In city procurement, we prefer responsible, low-carbon, and circular economy solutions.
Solutions for the circular economy, energy efficiency, and the green transition will also create new jobs and vitality in Mikkeli. We promote the use of biogas in transport, as it is emission-free, locally produced, and supports regional self-sufficiency. Our goal is a sustainable and climate-friendly food service by halving the consumption of meat and milk in municipal food services by 2030. We will increase plant-based and responsibly produced alternatives by developing recipes in collaboration with schoolchildren and students. This supports both health and environmental well-being.
We want to limit the use of fireworks and stop their use in city-organized events to reduce noise and environmental harm. At the same time, we will explore more sustainable and environmentally friendly ways to celebrate together.
We will protect Mikkeli’s lake landscapes and public access rights by preventing excessive shoreline development. Shorelines must remain available for the recreational use of all citizens and future generations, and we will safeguard the Saimaa ringed seal breeding areas.
We will prepare for climate change responsibly and proactively. We will improve stormwater management to prevent urban flooding and protect the built environment and waterways. We will increase urban greenery by planting trees and creating green spaces and microforests that improve air quality, provide shelter from heat, and help rainwater infiltrate the soil.
With all these actions, we will make Mikkeli a climate-friendly, nature-connected, and pleasant city to live in now and in the future.
2. We guarantee quality education for everyone
Quality education is one of the most important tasks of the municipality and the key to future well-being. We ensure that Mikkeli’s early childhood education and primary schools have enough trained and skilled staff to guarantee every child and young person a safe, equal, and high-quality learning environment. This requires sufficient qualified teachers, school assistants, and support staff, as well as functional group sizes that enable effective learning and individualized support for each learner.
Supporting learning also requires a thriving school and daycare community. Therefore, we invest in school-based youth work and increase the number of school youth workers who provide young people with low-threshold support and help prevent challenges in school attendance and social life. The well-being of schools directly affects learning and the future of society as a whole.
Strong literacy skills are the foundation of all learning. Therefore, we are committed to promoting literacy in every school and supporting students’ reading habits through a variety of means.
We also pay attention to immigrant-background children and young people by providing sufficient Finnish as a second language instruction and preparatory education so that everyone receives the necessary support for language development and integration. Equal opportunities for all learners to develop and succeed in their education will be guaranteed. We want to support lifelong learning and personal development so that every Mikkeli resident has the opportunity to grow and develop their skills in a changing world.
A safe and equal learning environment is for everyone. Therefore, we train municipal employees in gender-sensitive education and the diversity of gender and sexual orientation. Our goal is for every child and young person to grow and learn without fear of discrimination or prejudice.
Learning environments significantly affect students’ and children’s well-being and learning. We invest in the healthiness of daycare center and school buildings, as well as in the pedagogical design of indoor and outdoor spaces. Healthy, safe, and inspiring learning environments support a calm working atmosphere, encourage learning, and create well-being for both students and school staff.
Mikkeli needs a new school and daycare center in the eastern part of the city.
Quality early childhood education and primary education create a strong foundation for learning and prevent school dropout. By investing in trained personnel, we ensure that every child and young person receives the necessary support and readiness to transition smoothly to secondary education and continue their studies. Education is our investment in the entire city’s future.
3. We combat inequality, defend human rights, and care for everyone
We want to build Mikkeli into a city where everyone feels valued and included. This requires concrete actions to combat inequality, promote equality, and ensure the well-being of all residents.
We design services and housing solutions to be accessible to all residents. We also pay attention to the needs of different minority and special groups to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to live a good life in their hometown. We ensure the availability of affordable, accessible, and diverse housing solutions for students, young people, seniors, people with disabilities, singles, and families of different sizes. We promote the mixing of different population groups and prevent segregation to make Mikkeli a genuinely communal and diverse city. In rural areas with large distances, we ensure service accessibility and enable the development of villages.
Combating inequality requires structural changes. Therefore, we will educate municipal decision-makers, officials, and subcontractors on equality and anti-racism. We want to ensure that all residents have equal opportunities to participate and influence society. We show our support for equality and human rights by celebrating Pride Month and local Pride events in municipal spaces and offices.
Everyone has the right to live and move safely. Therefore, we ensure that public spaces, services, and the urban environment follow the principles of safer spaces, allowing everyone to access services and move around without fear or harassment. We invest in preventive safety measures, such as improving street lighting and enhancing the safety of public spaces.
To strengthen residents’ participation, communication and cultural services must be accessible and multilingual. Plain language, multilingualism, and accessible services ensure that everyone can participate in city activities and receive information in an easily understandable format. We particularly address the needs of the aging population by developing services that support independent and smooth daily life.
Municipal decision-making must be transparent and participatory. We will increase interaction between residents and decision-makers through hearings and other participatory methods. We will strengthen residents’ influence opportunities so that they can actively participate in the development of their city.
Integration is key to successful community integration. We will ensure that immigrants receive the necessary support and information about services, as well as the opportunity to actively participate in Mikkeli’s community.
Children’s and young people’s well-being is the foundation of the future. We want Mikkeli to be a child-friendly municipality, where quality early childhood education, primary education, and leisure services are prioritized. We offer safe and pleasant play and sports areas, as well as a wide range of hobby opportunities, so that every child and young person has the opportunity to develop themselves and engage in meaningful activities.
Young people’s well-being requires timely support. We will strengthen the support networks for young people by investing in outreach youth work, which provides low-threshold help for challenges in education, work, and daily life. We want to ensure that no one is left alone or without support on their journey.
The municipality must support local food production and sustainable food economy. Local farmers and food producers are an important part of regional resilience and vitality. We promote the use of local food in public services and encourage sustainable farming and production practices. This ensures the availability of high-quality and responsibly produced food, while supporting local agriculture and the food sector.
Every Mikkeli resident has the right to an equal, safe, and good life. With these measures, we ensure that everyone feels included and valued in our community.
4. We create jobs and take care of sustainable finances
We want to ensure that Mikkeli has a strong and sustainable economy that supports employment, entrepreneurship, and the city’s vitality. All economic policy decisions and new investments are made to support achieving climate and environmental goals. The opportunities of the green transition are recognized and utilized as prerequisites for the city’s success.
Mikkeli invests in entrepreneurship services, and micro and small businesses are offered comprehensive business counseling. We continue to develop the ”one-stop-shop principle” for entrepreneurs to make services easily accessible and to ensure smooth business startup and development. Our goal is to make the city entrepreneur-friendly and vibrant by offering clear and effective solutions.
We work closely with local secondary schools, universities, and students. The aim is to strengthen regional vitality and ensure better matching of skills with job markets. Students are offered opportunities to participate in research projects, business cooperation, and the development of working life. In addition, educational institutions are actively involved in supporting business growth and innovation.
In the development of Mikkeli’s tourism, we focus on sustainable tourism. We will reduce the harmful environmental impacts of tourism and create new jobs in sustainable tourism. We especially support nature and cultural tourism, which benefits local businesses and increases Mikkeli’s attractiveness as a travel destination.
We want to offer young people and students employment opportunities in various sectors of the city. We encourage employers to hire young people through summer job vouchers and support the employment of people in different life situations. Our goal is for every Mikkeli resident to have the opportunity to find work and develop their careers.
Quality and equal integration is an important part of the city’s vitality. We offer newcomers the opportunity to learn the Finnish language, integrate into the labor market, and become part of the local community. At the same time, we promote Mikkeli’s internationality and community spirit by offering open spaces where various actors, businesses, and communities can network and develop new solutions together.
We want to make Mikkeli a good employer that invests in employee well-being, good leadership, and staff skills development. This strengthens the city’s attractiveness and ensures that Mikkeli is an appealing place to work and build a career.
University students are an important resource for the city. We will develop Mikkeli as an attractive university city and offer employment opportunities for students and graduates. We will strengthen their connection to local businesses and working life so that graduates can stay and contribute to the development of the city while building their futures here.
With these actions, we will strengthen Mikkeli’s vitality, employment, and internationalism. The city will be developed in a sustainable way, becoming an entrepreneur-friendly and community-oriented place where everyone has the opportunity to succeed and build a good life.
- We invest in culture and leisure
We will ensure the funding and resources for libraries and develop their services to meet the needs of residents. Libraries are the cornerstones of education and community, and their role as places for culture, learning, and encounters is essential.
We recognize the diversity of the city’s residents and culture, ensuring that services and spaces are accessible to everyone. We will build an accessible playground and nature trail, and improve outdoor paths and playgrounds so that everyone has equal opportunities to enjoy the city’s green spaces and communal areas.
Permanent, sufficiently large spaces suitable for art preservation and display need to be found for the Mikkeli Art Museum and its collections. We will also secure adequate funding for the Mikkeli Theatre and Mikkeli City Orchestra to ensure a vibrant and diverse cultural offering in the city. At the same time, we will ensure the resources for the adult education center and develop its activities so that residents of all ages can learn new things and engage in a variety of hobbies.
We will develop the Culture House Sotku and cultural activities more broadly to make Mikkeli an even more attractive and lively cultural city. By focusing on accessibility and diverse cultural offerings, we ensure that everyone can participate, learn, and enjoy various forms of culture.
We will support local cultural entrepreneurs by providing functional space solutions for them and recognizing them as part of the city’s vitality. In our procurement, we will prioritize local actors and support regional entrepreneurs so that culture and art can thrive as vibrant industries in the city.
We will encourage residents to participate in events by organizing communal and participatory activities that strengthen the city’s cultural life and community spirit. At the same time, we will invest in local sports facilities and their accessibility to ensure that every Mikkeli resident has the opportunity to exercise and engage in hobbies easily within their own residential environment.
We will keep sports facilities and spaces in good condition so they can serve all users safely and diversely. We will also encourage everyday physical activity by developing local sports venues and supporting solutions that motivate people to move.
We aim to make spaces flexible and affordable for diverse use so that Mikkeli has open spaces for promoting culture and community life.
We will promote everyday exercise and sustainable mobility by increasing walking and cycling. We will build better walking and cycling paths and invest in their winter maintenance to ensure smooth and safe movement throughout the year.
We will maintain free Waltti cards for primary school students and explore the possibility of expanding the benefit to secondary and higher education students. This will support youth mobility, equal access to transportation, and sustainable urban transport.
We want to make Mikkeli a city of culture, accessibility, and community, where everyone has the opportunity to participate, engage in hobbies, and enjoy diverse leisure opportunities.
With these measures, we will make Mikkeli an even more vibrant, active, and inclusive city where culture and physical activity are accessible to all.
The Finnish version of the program is the official one, and the English version is an unofficial translation.