Sofia Virta to file no-confidence motion against Defense Minister Häkkänen

Sofia Virta, leader of the Green League, intends to submit a motion of no confidence against Finnish Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen following his recent visit to Israel. The move stems from a meeting between Häkkänen and Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz.

Virta has criticized the meeting as “incomprehensible and immoral,” describing it as a strong symbolic gesture that makes Finland’s Israel policy appear “darker and more confused.” She is demanding clarity on whether the meeting was a personal political choice by Häkkänen or a decision aligned with the entire Finnish government.

The criticism highlights a perceived contradiction in Finnish foreign policy. While Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen recently joined an international statement calling for Israel to halt West Bank settlement expansion, the Defense Minister’s meeting with Katz—a hardline member of Benjamin Netanyahu’s government—is seen by the Green League as undermining those diplomatic efforts.