SAMUEL TAMMEKANN
Senior Specialist & an ecosocial liberal for Helsinki City Council to restore the belief in the future back to politics, running with the Greens.
Vote in the municipal elections 13th April 2025!
Helsinki is history. Helsinki is the future. And Helsinki is the present—alive with stunning concerts, the haze of dimly lit bars, thought-provoking performances, vibrant encounters, thrilling neighbourhood restaurants, and food trucks that light up the night. It is a city of learning, growth, and self-discovery. A place where one can lose oneself in possibility—and be surprised, every single day.
Helsinki is a metropolis. And it is my home. I doubt I’m the only Savonian who feels that way.
Great cities are engines of development and progress—but more than that, many great cities are counterforces. I believe that’s because cities offer freedom—the freedom to be oneself, more fully and truthfully than anywhere else.
Progress is born from freedom—the freedom to live, to create, to act. But not only to have opportunities—it also means having the capabilities to pursue one’s dreams. It means freedom from despair, from want, from fear. Life in a good city cannot be reduced to mere survival, scraping through day by day.
When these freedoms are quite literally being sacrificed in the name of “savings,” Helsinki must intervene. I do not wish to pay for the illusion of freedom by taxed a few hundred euros less—if the real cost is pushing more and more people around me into insecurity and poverty.
What’s more, progressive and free cities are incredibly powerful when they act together. They move the world forward even when governments and nation-states get stuck in the past and begin to destroy rather than build the future. Cities can do more than what is merely required of them.
They can genuinely become models for a more sustainable way of living—from measurable advancements in the circular economy, to ecological construction, to creating the perfect environment for entrepreneurship, experimentation, and yes, sometimes failure. They are places where it is possible to think anew, to imagine differently, to dream bigger—and then move forward toward that vision with conviction.
Helsinki is already close to that ideal. Let’s take it all the way to the top.
I AM AN ECOSOCIAL LIBERAL.
I strive for a more just, more resilient, and more forward-looking society—one in which freedom, fairness, and ecological sustainability go hand in hand.
These are the principles I stand by:
The ecological foundation of life is not a matter of choice. It is the absolute precondition for all existence—for every breath we take, every future we dare to imagine.
The welfare state, equal starting points, respect for human dignity, and real opportunities and capabilities—these are not luxuries. They are the very conditions that make freedom and the pursuit of dreams possible.
Everyone has the right to live their one and only life meaningfully and freely, as their truest self—in a way that does not take that same right away from others.
MY THEMES
A Joyful Life in a Sustainable Helsinki
Ecological Reconstruction and the Restoration of Ecosystems
Rebuilding our city in harmony with nature—healing what has been damaged and safeguarding what remains.Solutions that Enhance Wellbeing: Toward a More Livable and Sustainable City
From green spaces to clean mobility, every decision should serve both people and the planet.Environmental Leadership by Example
Pioneering the circular economy, phasing out fossil fuels, and forging international networks for climate action.
Equal Foundations for a Good Life
A Home for Everyone in Helsinki
Housing is a right, not a privilege—every resident deserves a safe, dignified place to call home.Health as the Cornerstone of Society
From prevention to mental wellbeing to crisis preparedness, we must build a system that truly cares.The Right to Live through Work
Work must be met with the dignity, appreciation, and fair compensation it deserves.Freedom from Fear—At Home and in the City
Safety is more than policing; it’s the right to walk freely, exist peacefully, and belong.
Creativity UNLEASHED – and Dreams Made Real
Culture for All
From cherished cultural heritage to cutting-edge art and emerging phenomena, culture must be nurtured and made accessible to everyone.A Living, Breathing City
A metropolis should live like one—vibrant, diverse, buzzing with life and possibility.The Freedom and Opportunity to Create, to Try, to Fail, and to Succeed
A truly open city is a stage for courage, invention, and the dreams we haven’t dared to dream yet.
SAMUEL TAMMEKANN
29 years old, born and raised in Kuopio
I’ve called Helsinki home for the past ten years—most of that time in Töölö, and now in Sörnäinen. I am partly Estonian – my grandfather’s family left Estonia as refugees in 1940.
Specialist in EU affairs and strategic communications
I’m also a freelance communications and graphic design entrepreneur since 2016, and formerly worked as a consultant and analyst in strategic foresight and public affairs.
Currently studying Economic and Social History at the University of Helsinki
My academic background deepens my understanding of long-term societal change and the roots of today’s challenges.
Member of the Federal Committee and Co-Chair of the Foreign Policy Working Group of the Young European Federalists (JEF Europe)
I’m committed to building a democratic, united, and values-driven Europe.
Passions and pastimes
All kinds of music—from metal to classical—vinyl records, live gigs, science fiction literature, strategic PC and board games, and cooking.
SOMESSA
