Finnish Parliament member Jaana Strandman has hired her husband Toni Liukkonen as a parliamentary assistant. The employment began on October 21 with a full-time position. The monthly salary is 3,034 euros.
Local media first reported the appointment this week. Documents confirm Strandman proposed her husband for the assistant role. The couple has been publicly known as partners for several years.
This marks the second recent case of a Finnish politician hiring family members. Another MP from the same party appointed her son as an assistant earlier this fall.
Liukkonen serves as an alternate member of Mikkeli City Council for the Finns Party. Both he and Strandman represent the Mikkeli region in eastern Finland.
The Finns Party parliamentary group states it has no involvement in MPs' hiring decisions for assistants. Group leader Jani Mäkelä said he was unaware of the previous family appointment until media reports.
Parliamentary rules allow MPs to hire assistants of their choosing. The practice of hiring relatives raises questions about transparency and potential conflicts of interest. Voters might wonder whether these positions represent genuine merit-based appointments or family benefits.
Neither Strandman nor Liukkonen provided comments about their working relationship when contacted by media. The couple has appeared together in public photos for years.