After a week of controversy surrounding the treatment of animals in Finland’s fur farms, it has been revealed that candidates from every political party except the Greens will receive donations from one of the country’s biggest fur manufacturers. Finnish Fur Sales plans to contribute EUR 1,500 to the election campaigns of ten parliamentary candidates from the Uusimaa and Helsinki districts.
The names of the candidates will not be made public until later this month, but the beneficiaries will include members of all the country’s parties, except the Green League.
Last week, secretly filmed footage of animals appearing to be living in poor conditions in Finland’s fur farms circulated in the media. Facilities run by senior members of Finnish Fur Sales and the Finnish Fur Breeders’ Association featured in the clips.
Head of communications at Finnish Fur Sales, Paivi Mononen -Mikkila, however said that despite the controversy, the fur industry is still thriving. She added that 90 percent of the fox furs seen at this year’s Milan Fashion Week had come from Finland.
Mononen-Mikkila urged MPs to remain impartial, claiming that there is a systematic campaign against fur production currently going on in Finland. “It is extremely important that politicians should understand matters pertaining to the field,” she said in a Helsingin Sanomat report.
It has not yet been revealed whether Prime Minister Mari Kiviemi will be one of the recipients of the donations. She has, however, previously accepted contributions from the fur industry and has hinted that she would do so again. “It is appropriate to receive election funding from a business that operates legally,” she said in Parliament at the end of February.