Finnish party expels MP for Nazi salute photo

The far-right Finnish party True Finns announced on Thursday it had thrown out one of its lawmakers after discovering he had taken a photo of a friend making a Nazi salute.

James Hirvisaari took the photograph of his friend, known for making similar poses on the Internet, in the public area around parliament at the end of September, and the image was subsequently circulated on the web.

The president of the True Finns party, Timo Soini, said Hirvisaari's act was "unacceptable" and he would "definitely" be thrown out at the next party meeting.

"I have always stood against racism," said Soini on the Finnish television channel YLE.

Hirvisaari first responded by accusing the press of "harassment", but has since apologised for his behaviour.

"I condemn Nazism, I do not accept it under any form," he said in a statement addressed to the president of the Finnish parliament, Eero Heinaluoma, who issued a warning to Hirvisaari.

The popularity of the True Finns party has increased significantly in recent years. In the 2011 elections it obtained 39 seats -- a spectacular jump from its previous 5 seats.

In the latest opinion polls in August, the party's popularity was up 18.7 percent.

The charisma of its leader is a key factor, but Soini has had difficulty controlling his more radical deputies, many of whom lack political experience.

 

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