Speaking out against Finns Party MP Olli Immonen’s controversial anti-multiculturalism remarks, Prime Minister Juha Sipilä said they are totally unacceptable. More than 24 hours after Immonen called for a fight against the “nightmare of multiculturalism” in a Facebook post, there has been no comment on the matter from Finns Party leader Timo Soini.
“I want to develop Finland as an open, linguistically and culturally international country,” tweeted Prime Minister Juha Sipilä on Sunday afternoon. “I cannot accept Immonen’s remarks,” he wrote.
Sipilä was responding to Friday night’s Facebook post in English by Finns Party MP Olli Immonen calling for a fight against the “nightmare of multiculturalism” and promising “to fight until the end for one true Finnish nation.”
Former foreign minister and Social Democrat Erkki Tuomioja has demanded that Finns Party leader and current Foreign Minister Timo Soini address the issue, which has caused public outrage.
Earlier on the weekend Finance Minister Alexander Stubb (National Coalition Party) responded to Immonen’s comments: “Multiculturalism is an asset. That’s all I have to say.”
Meanwhile, Finns Party parliamentary group leader, Sampo Terho, went on record on Sunday afternoon in a phone interview with Yle and said that Immonen’s views don’t represent those of the Finns Party.
Immonen’s remarks compared to Breivik’s manifesto
Former Finnish Rural Party chairman Pekka Vennamo saw Immonen’s remarks as a response to mass murderer and Norwegian far-right terrorist Anders Behring Breivik’s call to fight multiculturalism.
Vennamo compared Immonen’s Facebook post to Breivik’s manifesto. On Facebook, Vennamo ponders whether “Immonen is a Breivik fan or his successor.”
“Immonen’s text reads like an abbreviated version of Breivik’s manifesto,” wrote Vennamo.
The Finnish Rural Party was the predecessor to the Finns Party.