Värynen expelled from Kansalaispuolue

The Kansalaispuolue (Citizens’ Party) has expelled its founder Paavo Värynen, a member of European Parliament, on the charges of misuse of party fund and misappropriation of election funds, said a party press release.

A 70-year-old Eurosceptic politician, Värynen also allegedly misused his position as a party trustee by pursuing a competition for the chair of the ruling Suomen Keskusta (Centre Party), the press release said.

Kansalaispuolue leaders Sami Kilpeläinen, Piia Kattelus and Tuula Komsi will hold a formal press conference on March 7 in Helsinki to make an official announcement in this regard.

Värynen's aides, however, have dismissed the claims and said the dismissal was illegal.

Värynen's camp told national broadcaster Yle that the grounds for his dismissal from Civic Party were "fictitious".

In a separate meeting on Saturday, Värynen and two of his close associates were elected to the party executive.

The founder of Kansalaispuolue contested in the last presidential election as an independent candidate.

Earlier, he resigned from the post of the chairman of the Kansalaispuolue for contesting in the 2018 presidential election, with party leader Sami Kilpeläinen replacing him.

In February 2016, when he was serving as a Keskusta member of European Parliament, Väyrynen announced to form a political party which he later formed under the name of Kansalaispuolue (Citizen’s Party).

In April 2016, he also made public the party emblem designed with a leaping Salmon in a blue-green logo.

Väyrynen served as a lawmaker from 1970 to 1995 and again from 2007 to 2011. He has also held many ministerial portfolios, including that of the foreign minister.

Earlier, Väyrynen contested in the presidential election as the candidate of Keskusta for three times and secured the second position in 1988 and the third in 1994 and in 2012.