Social and Health Minister Kaisa Juuso remains silent about her recent actions. Media outlets questioned the minister about an incident in Tornio and whether she plans to speak to citizens in a similar tone going forward. Juuso stated she has commented enough on the matter. The minister has not responded to any media inquiries about the situation.
Juuso declined to comment further before entering a meeting room about whether hiring her own son as a parliamentary assistant was a mistake. The Finns Party parliamentary group chair Jani Mäkelä told media that group meetings have not included discussion about party members Juuso and Jaana Strandman appointing relatives as assistants. Mäkelä noted he cannot comment on what representatives raise in other matters.
Parliament Speaker Jussi Halla-aho did not give approving judgment of Minister Juuso's actions during a media interview. Halla-aho directly assessed that news coverage about hiring relatives as assistants tends to affect representatives' reputations. He stated this certainly causes reputational damage to the representative themselves, the hired relative, and the representative's party.
When asked about Halla-aho's mentioned reputational damage, Mäkelä reminded that he has never recommended hiring relatives as parliamentary assistants. Mäkelä was also asked whether the group plans to advise the minister to dismiss her son from the assistant position. Mäkelä said the matter involves employment relationships covered by employment law, requiring sensitivity. He emphasized the parliamentary group is not party to their hiring decisions.
A group of people prepares to protest outside Parliament House on Friday November 7. Protesters want to open the funding law to preserve the Meri-Lapland service network more broadly than the assessment group planned. Some registered participants travel to Helsinki by night train while others use private cars. Organizers arrange bus transportation from Meri-Lapland if enough participants need rides. The event will feature sound systems and dozens of signs according to the invitation letter.
One busload of people already heads to Helsinki on Tuesday, indicating a larger-than-expected protest might occur. The assessment group previously concluded the Lapland welfare area cannot maintain two different hospitals with central hospital-level services. The controversy has become personalized around Minister Juuso. Juuso has defended herself saying the situation at West Bothnia Central Hospital would be worse without her involvement. She claims another minister would have implemented the hospital network law with worse outcomes if she hadn't agreed to it.
Protesters want Minister Juuso to attend the event so they can deliver a statement about the matter. They also want to hear from Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, Municipal and Regional Minister Anna-Kaisa Ikonen, and Finance Minister Riikka Purra. The protest is scheduled for approximately 11 AM and intended to last about one hour and fifteen minutes.
The controversy highlights ongoing tensions in Finnish regional politics where northern communities feel their services are being sacrificed for budgetary reasons. This situation represents a classic Nordic dilemma balancing fiscal responsibility with equal service access across vast geographical areas. The family hiring aspect adds ethical questions to what began as a policy dispute about healthcare delivery in remote regions.