He was elected chairman of the youth organization for the party in autumn 2003, and he held the position until 2010.

[3] In September 2018, Saarakkala announced that he wouldn't run for the Parliament anymore in the 2019 elections.

[4] Saarakkala was one of the underwriters of the "Nuiva Manifesti" ("The sour electoral manifesto"), an election campaign program critical of current immigration policy.

The other signers were Juho S. A. Eerola, Jussi Halla-aho, James Hirvisaari, Olli Immonen, Teemu Lahtinen, Maria Lohela, Heikki Luoto, Heta Lähteenaro, Johannes Nieminen, Pasi Salonen, Riikka Slunga-Poutsalo and Freddy Van Wonterghem.

[7][8][9] In October 2012, it was reported that he had plans to submit a bill proposing the criminalisation of ritual circumcision involving males under the age of 15.