Social Affairs and Health Minister Kaisa Juuso expressed regret over controversy surrounding her son's appointment as parliamentary assistant. The Finnish politician said she feels sorry about the situation but sees no grounds to terminate the employment.
Public debate erupted after reports revealed Juuso's son Ville Rajainmäki works as her parliamentary assistant. Several similar cases have emerged where lawmakers hired close relatives as assistants. Finnish parliament members hold full authority to select their own staff.
Juuso defended the arrangement, stating her son will continue in the role through the electoral term. 'He has a fixed-term contract until the end of the electoral period,' the minister explained. 'The employment relationship exists between the assistant and parliament itself. There are no grounds for parliament to terminate the contract since no errors have been made.'
The Finns Party responded by announcing it will prohibit lawmakers from hiring family members as parliamentary assistants starting after the next general election. This makes the party the first major parliamentary group to implement such a restriction.
Currently, The Finns Party remains the only large parliamentary group where assistants are employed directly by parliament. Other parties have shifted to a model where parliamentary groups handle hiring procedures.
This situation highlights the ongoing tension between personal staffing choices and public perception in Finnish politics. While technically legal, hiring family members often raises questions about transparency and equal opportunity in government positions.