HELSINKI (TIP): Finland’s new economic affairs minister Vilhelm Junnila, a member of the far-right Finns Party, announced his resignation on June 30 after only 10 days in office following an uproar over past alleged pro-Nazi remarks.
The resignation came just two days after Junnila, 41, survived a no-confidence vote in parliament on the issue, garnering 95 votes in favour and 86 against. “Despite the confidence of the party and my parliamentary group… I see that it is impossible for me to continue as a minister in a satisfactory way,” Junnila said in a statement.
The vote was called by three opposition parties — the Left Alliance, the Greens and the Social Democrats — because of Junnila’s previous controversial statements and links to far-right movements.
Junnila has spoken at least at one event organised in 2019 by Kansallismielisten liittouma (Coalition of Nationalists), a far-right group with links to the anti-immigration group Soldiers of Odin.
He also joked during this year’s parliamentary elections about the election candidate number 88 being a reference to “Heil Hitler”.
On June 22, Junnila tweeted an apology for his earlier statements: “I hope it is clear to everyone that I strongly and absolutely condemn the Holocaust, anti-Semitism and all anti-Semitic acts.”
More details emerged last Thursday, when Christian Democrat lawmaker Paivi Rasanen recalled a parliamentary question by Junnila in 2019, when he suggested that Finland should promote abortion in Africa as a measure to tackle climate change.
(AFP)