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Mon, 27 Jul, 2015 12:08:27 AM FTimes – STT Report, July 27  Prime Minister Juha Sipilä. File Photo – Lehtikuva. Prime Minister Juha Sipilä on Sunday responded to Perussuomalaiset (Finns Party) MP Olli Immonen’s remarks against multiculturalism terming them unacceptable.
The premier took to the social media site Twitter declaring that he does not accept the remarks made by Immonen.
In the Twitter feed, Sipilä wrote that he wants to develop Finland as an open, international, linguistically and culturally rich country.
The second-term Finns Party MP on Friday evening posted a message on the social media site Facebook where he expressed his views against multiculturalism.
In the post, Immonen wrote about “dream of a strong state which would win against this nightmare called multiculturalism.”
Immonen translated the post into English and the text has also been posted on the website of the nationalistic group Suomen Sisu. Immonen is the chair of the self-declared nationalistic group.
Sampo Terho, the chair of the Finns Party parliamentary group, said Immonen’s remarks do not represent the party line.
According to Terho, the remarks by Immonen will be discussed in the party’s next parliamentary group meeting after the summer holidays. Possible ramifications will also be discussed during the meeting, Terho revealed.
“I cannot speculate on the consequences, because I do not decide them alone,” Terho told the news agency STT.
“We were thinking about how the representatives of government parties should use the social media and how much it fits to deviate from the government line, even if it is while speaking on personal parcel of land,” Terho said.
Lawmaker Olli Immonen. File Photo Lehtikuva. According to Terho, MPs should never engage in individual thinking in totality, since the government line applies to all the government parties.
Finns Party leader Timo Soini, who is also the foreign affairs minister, has kept away from the public eye which has surprised many commenting on the social spectrum and the media, Terho said.
Terho revealed he had discussed the matter with Soini and that his position is the same as his.
According to Terho, comments made on the matter on behalf of the party belong to the chair of the party’s parliamentary group.
Terho could not confirm whether Soini intends to comment on the matter. Soini did not respond to a request from the news agency STT over the weekend for an interview.
Immonen too did not respond to STT’s attempts to reach him. Earlier in the day, Terho revealed that he had tried to call Immonen but could not reach him.
Immonen’s remarks have generated a lot of outcry in the social media. Among others, many MPs have commented on the issue.
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