“This should not happen. Not now and not in the future,” asserted Jukka Kopra, the chair of the National Coalition Party’s Parliamentary group, following a troubling episode within Finnish politics.
In a recent meeting, government party chairs expressed their strong disapproval regarding comments made by certain members of the Finns Party, which they deemed disrespectful and detrimental to Finland’s reputation. The backlash stemmed from the reaction of some Finns Party MPs to the recent removal of Sarah Dzafce, a former Miss Finland, who was stripped of her title amid public outrage over a photo portraying her making a racially insensitive gesture.
The image in question showed Dzafce pulling her eyelids back while smiling at the camera, accompanied by Finnish text that read, “eating with a Chinese person.” Many viewed the photo as a derogatory mockery of those with Asian heritage. In response to the backlash, some Finns Party MPs, including Kaisa Garedew and Juho Eerola, shared similar photographs in a misguided attempt to support Dzafce. Eerola subsequently issued an apology, acknowledging that his post may have been interpreted as offensive: “To all people with Asian backgrounds, I apologize if you felt that way. It was never my intention to offend,” he told Yle.
On Tuesday, during a meeting of the government party chairs, Kopra emphasized the need for responsible discourse. “Social phenomena and decisions can and should be objectively criticized. But derogatory gestures and images are irresponsible actions that promote nothing positive,” he said firmly.
While the chairs condemned the behavior, they refrained from discussing potential sanctions against the offending MPs, indicating that the Finns Party will make that determination. According to Kopra, until the Finns Party reaches a decision, other parties will hold off on taking a stance.
Finns Party group chair Jani Mäkelä assured reporters that his party takes the concerns of its government partners seriously, vowing to discuss the issue further. “While not all groups may share the same perspective, it is essential to consider the views of other parties involved in government cooperation,” Mäkelä said.
The working committee of the Finns Party is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, followed by a gathering of the entire group the following day. Mäkelä confirmed his continued support for Eerola.
Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP) criticized the actions of the Finns Party members over the weekend, remarking, “It became childish,” and noting that MPs must embody dignified behavior, a standard the shared images failed to meet. In contrast, Finance Minister and Finns Party leader Riikka Purra did not publicly denounce the posts, stating that the intent was to show solidarity with Dzafce.
Meanwhile, Finnair, Finland’s flag carrier, expressed its concerns about the negative implications of the racially charged images. The airline has cultivated significant business relationships in Asia for decades and stated that comments received through its Japan-focused social media account reflect a disturbing sentiment: customers now caution against traveling to Finland or flying with Finnair.
“We are hearing multiple comments indicating that people feel these images are racist and discriminatory,” said Days Tallqvist, the airline’s communications chief. “This ongoing discussion on social media is harmful to Finland’s image and our operations in vital international markets.”
With an international customer base comprising personnel from over 50 nationalities, Tallqvist stated that Finnair has been actively working with Business Finland to enhance its appeal to Japanese travelers. The airline is poised to become the largest operator connecting Japan and Europe by next summer.
Edited at 14:09 on 16 December 2025 to include comments from Finnair.