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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Jon Henley Europe editor

Finnish far-right finance minister accused of racist online comments

Riikka Purra
Riikka Purra said she had previously ‘expressed myself in ways that today I would not accept’. Photograph: Mauri Ratilainen/EPA

Finland’s new rightwing government has been plunged into fresh controversy after the discovery of racist and sometimes violent blogpost comments apparently written by the far-right Finns party leader and finance minister, Riikka Purra.

Purra, whose nationalist, anti-immigration party finished second in April’s elections and holds nine cabinet posts, has neither confirmed nor denied writing the posts, which date mostly to 2008, and said she had no intention of resigning – although on Tuesday she issued a broad apology for “stupid social media comments”.

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