Tavio faces presidential criticism, interpellation over decision not to participate in equality alliance

By admin On Sep 25, 2024

Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio (PS) met reporters after delivering a speech at the Annual Meeting of Heads of Missions in Helsinki on 26 August 2024. MTV on Friday reported that Tavio has decided that Finland will not participate in an international alliance promoting a gender-responsive and inclusive recovery in Ukraine. (Jussi Nukari – Lehtikuva)

MINISTER for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio (PS) has raised eyebrows among both opposition and ruling-party lawmakers by deciding not to participate in an alliance for a gender-responsive and inclusive recovery in Ukraine.

MTV on Friday reported that Tavio decided that Finland will not join the alliance due to its mission to also promote the interests of gender and sexual minorities, according to official .

The Finnish public broadcasting company interpreted the unusually stern and direct statement as an indication of value-related disagreements within the foreign policy leadership of Finland.

Finland’s foreign policy is led by the president in co-operation with the government. Stubb has also been an ardent advocate of equality throughout his political career, having as a lawmaker drafted a bill for a gender-neutral marriage act, as foreign minister served as the patron of Helsinki Pride and served as vice president of the European Parliament Intergroup on LGBT Rights.

Criticism from both sides of the aisle

The Social Democratic Party announced last week it will submit an interpellation against Tavio, drawing support from the Green League and Left Alliance.

Tytti Tuppurainen, the chairperson of the Social Democratic Parliamentary Group, said on X that the decision not to participate in the alliance undermines the foreign policy objective of promoting equality and the interests of girls, women and minorities. The decision is embarrassing and pathetic, added Nasima Razmyar, a deputy chairperson of the Social Democrats.

Also the Centre is puzzled by the apparent incompatibility of the government lines on human rights and supporting Ukraine, chairperson Antti Kaikkonen stated on Friday. Tavio, he argued, is refusing to support the very population groups that the government pledged to support in the foreign and security policy report published last summer.

“Ruling parties always have disagreements, but Finland can only have one stance. It looks like Finland’s stance now depends on who you ask. There should be no ambiguity in regards to supporting Ukraine,” he wrote in a press release.

The Centre Parliamentary Group has yet to discuss whether or not to support the interpellation, chairperson Antti Kurvinen told STT on Friday.

Henrick Wickström (SFP) similarly stressed that Finland should support Ukraine on all issues.

“I don’t think this is the right decision. Finland has to support Ukraine on all issues. I see contradictions between this and the international stance of Finland. I hope that the government will re-examine the issue,” he said on X.

Also Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP) commented on the issue on Friday, arguing that the non-participation decision does not alter the position of Finland. When Helsingin Sanomat asked him whether he approves of the decision, though, he opted not to give a direct answer.

“I think it would’ve been perfectly in line with the government’s stance to participate, but the minister decided to prioritise in this way,” he said.

Tavio’s conservative values have bubbled to the surface also at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Helsingin Sanomat wrote in August that Tavio has banned his speech writers from using various terms referring to certain non-traditional gender and sexual identities and expressions, such as the acronym LGBTQ.

He also made headlines around the Paris Olympics in July, for saying sexual minorities turned the opening ceremony into a “freak show”.

On the other hand, Tavio was one of three Finns Party lawmakers who received a reprimand from the party for breaking the party line and voting in favour of a gender-neutral marriage act in 2016.

Aleksi Teivainen – HT

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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi