After only 10 days in office, Finland’s economy minister Vilhelm Junnila has resigned due to a series of Nazi jokes and allegations of ties to right-wing extremists.
Junnila had been under the spotlight for a multitude of reasons, including a 2019 public speech related to a far-right memorial in Turku.
Junnila has also been under fire for repeated Nazi jokes. Junnila joked with a fellow party member that calling his candidate number was a good omen. 88 standing for AH, the initials of Adolf Hitler.
On 28th June, Junnila survived a vote of no-confidence but decided to step down, stating, “For the continuation of the government and the reputation of Finland, I see that it is impossible for me to continue as a minister in a satisfactory way.”
Junnila is a member of the far-right Finns Party, which is part of the country’s new four-party center-right ruling coalition.
