A party that rose on its appeal to the young, to idealists, and to activists has matured, aged, and expanded its agenda.
The combined average age of the two Finnish Green MEPs who served in the last European Parliament, Tarja Cronberg and Satu Hassi, is 66. Heidi Hautala, whose outspokenness on Ukraine has made her the party's leading candidate, is approaching her 60s.
"These are the kind of times in which the power of the European Parliament has grown and people are needed there who have experience and vision and also the capacity to act in using this opportunity," Hautala told Yle.
Tarja Cronberg, now 70, is also in the running to return to a seat.
According to Yle's online 'election machine', Green candidates are a fairly homogeneous group who like the EU, back more legal immigration and actively support human rights and environmental issues. In terms of security policy, they lean on Europe, not NATO.
However, they are split on EU expansion and federation.
Need for new blood
The party's chair, Ville Niinistö, seems to see solutions to pressing problems as being in the hands of future decision makers.
"There is talk that on the European level, hundreds of thousands of jobs can be created through renewable energy. This means that the European Union will be a pioneer in these solutions, ensuring that we will continue to have industry in Europe. This is a matter of being on the side of the environment, the climate and of industry," Niinistö said at the opening of the party's campaign in Helsinki.
Support for Greens in Europe is in decline. The group may lose up to 20 seats in the next European Parliament, and the two seats Finland's Greens have had are not a foregone conclusion in a new parliament.
The Greens talk enthusiastically about turning around youth unemployment and the future of green technologies. However, to a large degree, both the Finnish party and its European reference group look to be bogged down in nostalgia for the period from the 60s to the 80s, and the accomplishments of veteran activists.
Yle's European election coverage began on 5 May with a host of special programmes, a four-minute interview with nearly every candidate, Yle's 'election machine' and a series of 'party days' showcasing each party's programme. Yle News will bring you a selection of the highlights in English.