The Prime Minister of Finland, Petteri Orpo, has issued a formal apology to several Asian nations following a damaging controversy involving racist imagery posted by members of parliament. The incident, dubbed the 'slanted eyes' scandal by Finnish media, has sparked international condemnation and internal political strife.
The Spark: A Miss Finland Social Media Post
The controversy ignited earlier this month when Sarah Dzafce, the reigning Miss Finland title holder, was featured in a friend's social media post. The image showed Dzafce, who is not of Asian origin, pulling back the corners of her eyes. The post was captioned "Eating with a Chinese person."
Dzafce, 22, who had only won the title in September, subsequently apologised, stating she did not intend to cause offence. However, the Miss Finland organisation stripped her of her crown, citing a breach of its values and principles.
Political Escalation and MP Backlash
The situation escalated when politicians from the populist Finns Party, a junior partner in the governing coalition, responded by posting similar derogatory images. According to Finland's public broadcaster Yle, Finns Party MPs Kaisa Garedew and Juho Eerola, along with Finns Party MEP Sebastian Tynkkynen, shared pictures of themselves pulling their eyes into a slanted shape.
While MP Juho Eerola has since apologised for his actions, the posts triggered a fresh wave of criticism. This incident is the latest in a series of allegations of racist remarks and behaviour by members of the Finns Party, testing the stability of the four-party coalition government led by Prime Minister Orpo.
Official Apology and Government Stance
On Wednesday, 17 December 2025, Prime Minister Petteri Orpo of the National Coalition Party took decisive action. He issued a statement offering his "sincere apologies", which was disseminated through Finnish embassies in China, Japan, and South Korea.
"These posts do not reflect Finland's values of equality and inclusion," Mr Orpo stated. He emphasised that "the government takes racism seriously and is committed to combating the issue." This public rebuke of his coalition partners underscores the severity of the diplomatic and domestic fallout.
The scandal has reopened old wounds for Orpo's government, which faced a no-confidence vote shortly after taking office in 2023 over racist online posts made by other Finns Party cabinet members.
