Finns Party MP Juho Eerola racism scandal has triggered widespread backlash in Finland after the senior lawmaker posted a photo of himself stretching his eyes sideways, a gesture widely condemned as racist and closely linked to the recent downfall of former Miss Finland Sarah Dzafce.
Juho Eerola, a Member of Parliament for the Finns Party and chair of the Finnish Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee, shared the image on Facebook as his profile picture on Thursday. The photo was accompanied by the caption “Je suis Sarah”, a phrase commonly used to signal public solidarity.
The image immediately drew attention because it closely mirrors a controversial photo involving Sarah Dzafce, who stepped down from her Miss Finland title after an image of her making the same eye gesture circulated online and sparked accusations of racial stereotyping.
Speaking to Finnish public broadcaster Yle, Eerola denied that his post was racist and said the image was meant as humor.
“Some people might see it that way, but my understanding is that it is not generally considered racist,” Eerola said in an interview conducted while he was at Brussels Airport on official parliamentary business.
His explanation did little to calm criticism, particularly given his senior role overseeing legal affairs in parliament. Critics questioned how such a gesture could be dismissed as harmless when similar imagery had already caused significant public harm.
The backlash follows intense scrutiny of Sarah Dzafce after a photo of her surfaced on social media in late November. In the image, she was seated at a restaurant table pulling her eyes upward, accompanied by the caption “kiinalaisenkaa syomassa”, translated as “eating with a Chinese”.
The post was widely condemned for reinforcing stereotypes about people of East Asian origin. The criticism escalated rapidly, leading to Dzafce stepping down from her title amid mounting public pressure.
Eerola publicly dismissed the criticism directed at Dzafce in comments to Ilta-Sanomat.
“This is completely absurd. She has an immigrant background and surely knows what racism is,” he said. “If this counts as racism, then everything starts to count as racism.”
Eerola further claimed that his own image had a non political explanation, saying it was linked to relieving physical discomfort rather than making a statement.
“I got a tip from Miss Finland about how to relieve a headache. That is what the picture shows,” he said.
Dzafce had earlier told Ilta-Sanomat that her photo was taken by a friend as a joke while she was pressing her temples to ease a migraine.
Despite these explanations, critics argue that intent does not erase impact, particularly when gestures carry a long history of racial mockery.
Support for Dzafce came from within the Finns Party. Joakim Vigelius, the party’s vice chair, defended her publicly on the social media platform X and questioned the fairness of her resignation.
“I do not think this is fair. I think this is sick. Tight laced and humourless. Above all, merciless,” Vigelius wrote.
He also criticized what he described as moral panic and coordinated social media campaigns against individuals.
“You cannot stretch your eyes among friends without being called a Sinophobe. You cannot joke about anything without being accused of some form of discrimination,” he added.
The episode has reignited a broader debate in Finland about racism, political accountability, and the responsibilities of elected officials. With a senior lawmaker at the center of the controversy, questions continue to grow over how far humor can go before it crosses into harm.
