A Finnish parliament member has hired her own husband as a new parliamentary assistant. The Finnish Parliament confirmed that Finns Party MP Jaana Strandman appointed Toni Liukkonen to the position. Liukkonen is Strandman's spouse and works professionally as a security guard.
The 45-year-old Liukkonen began his duties on October 21. He also serves as the first deputy member for the Finns Party in Mikkeli City Council, where his wife Strandman holds a seat.
Liukkonen will receive 3,034 euros monthly as parliamentary assistant salary. The appointment follows the resignation of Strandman's previous assistant in September.
The former assistant received an official warning from Parliament for sharing Nazi-related content on Instagram. Parliamentary administration director Pertti Rauhio stated the assistant's actions clearly conflicted with the MP's values and goals.
Strandman previously told media she did not approve of her former assistant's behavior, which continued despite interventions.
This marks the third recent instance of Finns Party MPs hiring family members. Social Affairs and Health Minister Kaisa Juuso employed her own son as parliamentary assistant. Another party member Veijo Niemi also hired his son for the position.
MP Mikko Polvinen appointed his girlfriend as his parliamentary assistant. The pattern raises questions about family appointments within the political party.
Parliamentary assistants in Finland provide research, administrative and communication support to lawmakers. Their salaries come from public funds allocated to each MP.
The trend of hiring relatives highlights ongoing debates about transparency and proper use of parliamentary resources across Finnish politics.