Finnish minister resigns after just 10 days in office over Nazi references

Finland’s economy minister Vilhelm Junnila resigned on Friday after just 10 days in office, the nationalist Finns Party said, over earlier statements he had made linked to Nazis.
“For the continuation of the government and the reputation of Finland, I see that it is impossible for me to continue as a minister in a satisfactory way,” Junnila said in a statement.
He is a member of the Finns Party, part of a right-wing coalition that took office on June 20 after an April election.
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On June 28, Junnila survived a no-confidence vote against him in parliament called by the opposition which accused him of repeatedly making Nazi references.
During his election campaign, public broadcaster YLE saw Junnila congratulate his fellow party member on his candidate number, 88. This is known as a neo-Nazi symbol used in place of the “Heil Hitler” salute referencing Nazi leader Adolf Hitler in World War Two. The Anti-Defamation League calls it “one of the most common white supremacist symbols.”
“First of all, congratulations for the excellent candidate number. I know it’s a winning card. Obviously, this ‘88’ refers to two H letters which we won’t say more about,” Junnila said in his address at a campaign event on March 10, according to YLE.
Junnila has apologized for his choice of words, saying it was a distasteful joke.
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