Purra said she did not encourage her MPs to criticise the prime minister on Yle’s Ykkösaamu programme. Photo: Roni Rekomaa / Lehtikuva
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Finnish Finance Minister Riikka Purra has said she accepts the immigration-related comments made by her party’s vice-chair Teemu Keskisarja on national broadcaster Yle, dismissing allegations of racism and expressing no concern over pending police reports.
Speaking on Yle’s Ykkösaamu programme, Purra said she approved of how Keskisarja expressed himself during his appearance on A-studio. “Yes, I accept them,” she said in response to a direct question.
On Wednesday, Keskisarja referred to migrants arriving in Finland as “low-quality” and described demographic changes as “a partially realised catastrophe.” He also characterised Finnish cultural events as becoming “developing-world-style pigsties and bloodbaths.”
Police in Helsinki have received four criminal complaints regarding Keskisarja’s statements. Authorities are assessing whether to launch a formal investigation.
When asked about the legal reports, Purra responded, “I strongly doubt these will lead to charges. Keskisarja uses colourful language. He often speaks in quite brutal terms.”
In the A-studio broadcast, Keskisarja claimed that Finland had received “hundreds of thousands of low-quality newcomers in one generation” and questioned the educational and professional standards of migrants from Africa and the Middle East.
Pressed to define “low-quality,” Keskisarja said the term referred to lower levels of education, civilisation, and vocational preparedness among certain migrant groups. He also described the “Great Replacement” conspiracy theory as factual. The theory claims that Western populations are being systematically replaced by migrants, an idea Finnish security services link to right-wing extremist violence.
Asked on Yle whether she recognised that such terminology closely mirrors language used by those justifying far-right violence, Purra said the party does not discuss theories but focuses on “verifiable statistics.”
“These figures show the number of migrants, their employment rate, the problems in schools, and tax contribution levels,” she said. “We talk about realities, not ideology.”
Purra rejected suggestions that the party’s rhetoric breaches the government’s anti-racism commitment issued two years ago. “There is no racism here. There is no violation of equality,” she said. “We must be able to discuss immigration issues in Finland without constant outrage.”
Asked directly whether the Finns Party still supports the government’s anti-racism declaration, Purra replied, “Absolutely.”
When questioned whether the language used by Keskisarja was appropriate for a government coalition partner, particularly following Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s public condemnation of the comments, Purra said she did not encourage her MPs to criticise the prime minister.
Earlier, Orpo told Helsingin Sanomat he did not accept Keskisarja’s language and said the issue would be discussed during upcoming government budget negotiations.
Keskisarja dismissed Orpo’s statements, comparing them to “AI-generated jargon.” Yle asked Purra whether this was appropriate language toward the prime minister. “I do not in any way encourage our MPs to criticise the prime minister,” she said.
Despite the ongoing controversy, Purra insisted that the party’s stance on immigration is not the reason for recent declines in voter support. The Finns Party is polling at 12.3 percent according to Yle’s latest survey, down from 20.1 percent in the last parliamentary election.
“We speak about issues other parties avoid,” she said. “I don’t believe our immigration policy or language explains the drop in support.”
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
