Finnish Prime Minister Apologises to East Asian Nations Over Racist Gesture Scandal Involving MPs and Former Miss Finland

Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo has issued formal apologies to Japan, China, and South Korea following a controversy sparked by members of parliament mimicking a gesture widely regarded as racist towards East Asians.

Orpo stated that the actions "do not reflect Finland’s values of equality and inclusion" and emphasised that "racism and discrimination have no place in Finnish society." The apologies were posted on the social media accounts of Finland's embassies in the three countries.

The scandal escalated after three politicians from the populist Finns Party — MPs Juho Eerola and Kaisa Garedew, along with MEP Sebastian Tynkkynen — shared photos of themselves pulling the corners of their eyes to create a slanted appearance. They claimed the posts were in support of Sarah Dzafce, the 2025 Miss Finland who was stripped of her title earlier this month for a similar gesture.

Dzafce's controversy began when a photo surfaced from November showing her making the gesture, accompanied by a caption in Finnish roughly translating to "eating with a Chinese person." She initially explained it as relief from a headache but later apologised, including in Chinese, saying she was "very sorry." Despite her apology, the Miss Finland organisation revoked her crown on December 11, citing zero tolerance for racism or discrimination. The title was passed to runner-up Tara Lehtonen.

The politicians' posts drew widespread criticism, including from within the governing coalition. Responses varied: Eerola apologised, acknowledging the offence; Tynkkynen insisted the gesture was not intended to hurt feelings; while Garedew refused to apologise.

Orpodescribed the behaviour as "childish" and "damaging" to Finland's reputation. Reports indicate impacts on Finnish businesses, including a TV production company pausing projects in Japan and airline Finnair noting negative effects on its brand.

The Finns Party, part of Orpo's coalition government since 2023, has faced previous racism-related scandals. The party's parliamentary group is scheduled to discuss potential sanctions against the involved MPs.