Finland’s economy minister resigns after Nazi references

Finland’s economy minister, Vilhelm Junnila, has been forced to resign after making comments about Nazis.

Junnila, a member of the right-wing populist Finns Party, came under fire in Finnish media for attending a far-right event in 2019, which has links to neo-Nazis.

He also made jokes about Nazism — by referring to the number 88, which is used as a far-right symbol for “Heil Hitler” because H is the eighth letter of the Alphabet.

Junnila’s resignation comes after only 10 days in office and after slimly surviving a no-confidence vote. He apologised and stepped down on Friday.

“I condemn holocaust, antisemitism and all antisemitic acts completely,” he said on Twitter on June 22.

The Finns Party, which came second in April elections, became part of a government coalition earlier this month, under prime minister Petteri Orpo.