Purra, Rydman to face no-confidence motion for racist slurs

The opposition Vasemmistoliitto (Left Alliance) on Thursday said that the party would submit a no-confidence motion in the parliament against Finance Minister Riikka Purra and Economic Affairs Minister Wille Rydman of the radical rightist Perussuomalaiset (Finns Party) for their racist remarks.

The parliamentary group of the party at a meeting at Lohja also demanded that the government should re-evaluate its programme that included strict austerity measures and tight immigration policy, said the party in a press release.

“A person who does not respect the inviolability of human dignity and equality, which are at the center of our constitution, cannot act as a minister. Purra's blatantly racist writings reflect attitudes that cannot be accepted from a member of the Government. The same is applicable for Rydman,” the deputy chair of the party Veronika Honkasalo said.

Purra came under fire following widespread controversy raised over racial, apparently violent and anti-immigrant comments made in guise of an identity of ´riikka´ in 2008 on a blog hosted by former Chairperson of her party Jussi Halla-aho, also Speaker of the present parliament.

On July 11, Purra admitted that she made the controversial remarks on the Scripta blog 15 years ago in guise of a username "riikka" and apologised for the racial, violent and anti-immigrant comments.

Rydman made the remarks in text messages sent to his former dating partner when he was a lawmaker of the conservative Kansallinen Kokoomus (National Coalition Party-NCP), the main component of the alliance.

Petteri Orpo-led four-party right-wing alliance government took office on June 20.

On July 6, Rydman was appointed as the Minister of Economic Affairs replacing his party colleague Vilhelm Junnila.

Earlier on June 30, Junnila decided to resign following the controversy raised over his links to far-right groups.

Rydman left Kokoomus and joined Perussuomalaiset in January, 2023 following allegations of inappropriate behavious to women in June 2022.

Another Perussuomalaiset leader and Interior Minister Mari Rantanen faced strong criticism for her social media post related to far-right ideology and immigration.

Speaker of the parliament and former Perussuomalaiset Chairperson Jussi Halla-aho, who hosted the Scripta blog was convicted of inciting hatred against an ethnic group in 2012.