The Market Green Manifesto

The world is in crisis. The conditions for a good life are being destroyed on many fronts worldwide, including here in Finland. And we refuse to accept inaction in the face of this!

Finland must act more decisively to break free of fossil dependence and to reverse environmental destruction. This is not only just toward future generations, but also sensible in our own time. A massive global transformation of societies toward harnessing renewable energy is underway, and it is in Finland’s interest to be at the forefront of this change. It is in independent Finland’s interest to break free of dependence on authoritarian oil states.

We love civilization and knowledge. For us, truth has intrinsic value, not merely instrumental value. The future of humanity is determined by civilization — either its flourishing produces a bright future for us, or its decay produces the ruin of humankind. And we want to build that bright future, the new golden age brought by a renewed civilization. We are a counterforce to cheap populism and short-sighted politics that erodes the foundation of liberal democracy. As many others sink toward darkness, we say that this will not do for us, and declare: we social liberals carry the torch of enlightenment, continuing its legacy toward a new flourishing!

Every human being is of equal worth — that is the foundation of our values and of a good society. Accepting this is also an absolute prerequisite for the best form of society, namely liberal democracy. Liberal democracy, however, cannot survive without defenders. And we will not back down from the call — we will defend liberal values against the forces that oppose them! We defend an independent and free media against all forms of political pressure. We respect individual freedoms, and we defend freedom of speech, the rule of law, and the constitution. These institutions are of intrinsic and vital importance, since liberal democracy cannot exist without their independent existence. For us, liberal democracy is not for sale!

Equal and enlightened people among whom power is evenly shared is the best way to organize a society. This is why we believe not only in the power of democracy, but also in the power of markets, since markets decentralize decision-making among those who take part in them. But, unlike some who are blinded by pretty daydreams, we do not believe in unregulated markets. Markets are efficient, but efficiency without direction is a road to ruin. We demand and are building a market economy in which ecological and social externalities are correctly priced and market failures are identified. Only then do markets serve people, rather than the other way around. It is the task of public authority to direct the power of markets toward creating good, rather than destroying the world.

The world is in crisis, but it does not have to stay that way. All of us can still choose differently, and lead a change for the whole of humanity. Humanity can choose the path illuminated by civilization toward a brilliant future, and that is our choice, instead of darkness. We have all the knowledge and all the tools needed to build a good future — we just need to organize and take action. And so we invite absolutely everyone to join us in making the kind of change that we can proudly leave to future generations!