The Prime Minister’s Office is withholding the content of anti-racism training, which a professor believes should be made public. Photo: Kimmo Penttinen / Lehtikuva
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Finland’s Prime Minister’s Office (VNK) has declined to release the content of an anti-racism training session delivered to top civil servants in April, prompting criticism from legal experts over transparency.
The training, held on 14 April, was part of a wider equality initiative being prepared for government ministers. The Prime Minister’s Office said the material remains under development and therefore cannot be made public.
The Finnish News Agency STT had requested access to the training content and any feedback collected from participants. The office denied the request, citing the incomplete status of the training programme intended for ministers.
However, Professor Tomi Voutilainen of the University of Eastern Finland argued that this reasoning does not stand up to scrutiny.
“When the training was held for permanent secretaries, the material was clearly ready for that purpose,” he said. “The claim of incompleteness cannot justify withholding the information.”
The training was delivered in preparation for a broader session for ministers, scheduled for early June. Voutilainen said the two sessions should be considered distinct, with separate materials tailored to different audiences.
He also criticised the office’s failure to address STT’s specific request, which concerned the material used in the earlier session, not the planned ministerial training.
“This appears to be an attempt to avoid public debate before ministers are trained. That is not an acceptable reason to deny access,” Voutilainen said.
The Prime Minister’s Office, headed by Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, stated that the purpose of the delay is to ensure the training’s effectiveness. Officials added that no written feedback was collected, and no formal exercises were conducted during the session.
According to Voutilainen, early disclosure could strengthen the training by allowing broader public input.
“If the material includes content that might prompt discussion, it’s better to receive feedback now rather than after it has been presented to ministers,” he said.
The issue has renewed concerns over the office’s past record on transparency. Finnish administrative courts have previously ruled that the Prime Minister’s Office has, on multiple occasions, violated access-to-information laws by withholding public documents.
Voutilainen described the pattern as a “form of administrative culture” that appears designed to delay disclosure.
“This does not reflect well on the government,” he said.
The anti-racism training was ordered in 2023 following political controversy that nearly collapsed the Orpo government. At the time, Minister of Economic Affairs Vilhelm Junnila (Finns Party) resigned after widespread criticism over his alleged far-right associations. Attention also turned to past racist comments made by Finance Minister Riikka Purra, leader of the Finns Party.
The training, originally scheduled for early 2024, was postponed until after local and regional elections. It is being prepared by officials from the Prime Minister’s Office in cooperation with experts from the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
