The Finnish ambassador to Portugal, Titta Maja-Luoto, has been removed from her post by Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen. The decision comes after serious workplace complaints and a civil service investigation into her conduct.
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs announced the removal on Wednesday, calling it necessary to safeguard the proper functioning of the Finnish embassy in Lisbon.
The search for her replacement begins immediately. According to the ministry, this decision was made in coordination with leadership and human resources officials.
“This should have been resolved sooner,” Valtonen told Helsingin Sanomat. She was referring to the ministry’s three-month deadline for resolving workplace safety issues, which had already passed.
In February, all eight members of the embassy staff and employees at the ambassador’s residence submitted a formal complaint. The allegations included verbal abuse, racist remarks, bullying, and psychological harassment.
Maja-Luoto has admitted to misconduct in two separate cases. In statements to STT and Helsingin Sanomat, she acknowledged her actions were inappropriate and said she regretted her behavior.
Although the administrative process is still underway, Valtonen stressed that the removal was not a disciplinary punishment. Instead, it was described as an operational action needed to restore order within the mission.
“This kind of behavior cannot be accepted in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs,” she said. “Every case has consequences, but the process must still be fair.”
State Secretary Jukka Salovaara, who oversees civil service affairs at the ministry, said the investigation is close to completion and findings will be made public soon.
Valtonen declined to say whether Maja-Luoto might return to a different role within the ministry.
Legal experts question the process
The removal has drawn criticism from legal experts. Olli Mäenpää, emeritus professor of administrative law at the University of Helsinki, called the decision questionable.
“It seems this was a way to get around the standard dismissal procedure,” Mäenpää said. “If the conditions for dismissal were not met, then another method was used instead.”
He warned that this could set a precedent for bypassing civil servant protections, saying it may be viewed as an abuse of discretionary power.
“While the president has the formal authority to remove ambassadors, the real question is how that authority is used,” Mäenpää said.
A similar case took place last year when Finland’s ambassador to Canada, Jari Vilén, requested to be recalled after misconduct allegations. Those included inappropriate behavior and sexual harassment. He later received a formal warning following an internal review.
The ministry noted that Maja-Luoto, unlike Vilén, did not ask to step down voluntarily.
In response to growing criticism of its internal management, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs has introduced structural reforms. These include bringing in an outside HR director and adopting 360-degree staff evaluations to better monitor workplace issues.
Valtonen said these changes are part of broader efforts to strengthen leadership and prevent similar problems in the future.
