–How many of you want to lower the age limit for voting, asked Reetta Hulmi, the candidate for the Greens. A few hands were raised in the election panel audience, gathered at Lauttakylä Upper Secondary School.

The same question was asked from the candidates.

Social Democratic Party’s Ari Reunanen wants to keep the age limit at 18, as does Anni Tormas, National Coalition Party. She highlighted that young people should still be listened to at the local decision-making level. Reetta Hulmi thinks lowering the age limit to 16 is possible, but otherwise agrees with Tormas.

Joonas Immonen, the Centre Party, was ready to lower the limit down to 16, starting by experiments in municipal or regional elections. The Christian Democratic Elias Rantanen agreed and supported the idea.

Mikko Kaunisto from the Left Alliance thinks that 18 is a good age limit. Niina Immonen from the Finns Party thought that letting young people vote may be a way to commit them to politics better in the future.

- Why shouldn’t we lower the age limit? Asked Krista Salminen, Liike Nyt -Party.

The upper secondary school students have come up with questions. Part of questions for the panel moderated by Hilma Lehtimäki and Martti Niemelä were prepared by the Youth Council. There were about 15 questions in total.

In a question about education, the young adults asked for an opinion about limiting the amount of university degrees, university tuition fees and lowering the study allowance. The candidates agreed that money for education shouldn’t be wasted.

The young people wanted to know if the candidates thought that conscription should apply to everyone.

–Yes, separating people by gender doesn’t show the best in anything, said Hulmi.

–Invitations for all, but conscription only for presumed males, elaborated Niina Immonen.

–It would be a move to the right direction to extend invitations to the entire age group. However, the Defence Forces does not have the ability to train an entire age group, reasons Tormas.

Mikko Kaunisto and Krista Salminen support the current way.

Joonas Immonen wants to extend invitations to everyone. Rantanen wants to extend invitations to everyone but keep the conscription voluntary for women.

Lauttakylä-lehden ja Pellonpuiston koulun yhteinen oppilastoimitus kääntää viikoittaisen pääuutisen englanniksi. Tekstin on kääntänyt 7.-luokkalainen Vilja Vartia. /The student editorial of Lauttakylä newspaper and Pellonpuisto school translates the weekly main news into English. The text was translated by 7th grader Vilja Vartia.

• oppilastoimitus
• Election of the parliament
• student editorial
• news
• Lauttakylä Upper Secondary School

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