World News | Finnish Populist Party Picks Economy Minister to Replace Cabinet Member Who Quit over Far-right Ties

Helsinki, Jul 5 (AP) A populist party that is part of Finland's recently installed right-wing coalition government on Wednesday selected a new economy minister to replace a Cabinet member who resigned last week over alleged ties to far-right circles and Nazi remarks.

The Finns Party said in a statement that Wille Rydman, 37, was chosen “unanimously” for the post. Rydman has been a lawmaker at Eduskunta, the Finnish legislature, since 2015 and a member of the Helsinki City Council since 2012.

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He has been involved in national politics since 2007 in the ranks of the National Coalition Party, Finland's main conservative party, which is the senior partner in the current government led by Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, who is NCP chair.

In early January, however, Rydman joined the nationalist Finns Party after he was ousted from the NCP last year because of allegations of harassment and improper relationships with young women and teenage girls.

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The case led to a police investigation, and he was later cleared of suspicion of misconduct.

“I wasn't prepared for something like this. I have mixed feelings,” Rydman told Finnish public broadcaster YLE after being selected on Wednesday. “I accept the challenge with a somewhat heavy heart because my good friend Vilhelm Junnila has just had to resign from this position. In my opinion, he had to resign due to inappropriate and stigmatizing statements.”

Minister of Economic Affairs Vilhelm Junnila said Friday he would step down partly because of a speech he gave in connection with a far-right memorial event in the western city of Turku in 2019 — something that caused an uproar on social media after he had taken up the ministerial post.

Junnila, who survived a no-confidence vote at parliament earlier this month, also reportedly has made improper references to Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany on certain occasions.

With just 17 days in the post, Junnila is set to become the second shortest-serving Cabinet member in Finland's history.

President Sauli Niinistö will formally appoint Rydman on Thursday.

The Finns Party decided that Rydman will serve as the economy minister for two years after which he will hand over the post to party colleague Sakari Puisto for another two years.

Orpo's four-party coalition government, described by political analysts as Finland's most conservative Cabinet since World War II, was sworn in on June 20. (AP)

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