Petteri Orpo labels MP Peltokangas’s social media posts inappropriate

Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo has described a recent social media post by Finns Party MP Mauri Peltokangas as ‘inappropriate’ and ‘not worthy of a Member of Parliament.’ The controversy stems from a Facebook post in which Peltokangas questioned whether a ‘Muslim Social Democrat’ could represent native Finns and asked how many of his followers would want an ‘Afghani-Muslim’ as a minister in the next term.

Opposition leader Antti Lindtman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) characterized the remarks as a direct attack on Nasima Razmyari, the only MP of Afghan descent and Muslim background in the parliament. While Peltokangas has denied specifically targeting Razmyari, the comments have drawn criticism from coalition partners, including National Coalition Party ministers who described the post as ‘repugnant.’

Prime Minister Orpo stated that it is the responsibility of the Finns Party parliamentary group to assess the consequences and decide on any necessary actions. He noted that while he cannot monitor the individual actions of every MP, all representatives should be able to speak and act professionally without engaging in racism.