Three Finns Party representatives on the Helsinki City Council have made their indignation known this week in opposition to a move by their fellow party member and Councillor Nuutti Hyttinen to erect a statue commemorating Touko Laaksonen, better known as Tom of Finland, in Helsinki.
The statue was proposed for placement in front of the new central library, which is to be completed in 2017, in time for the centenary of Finnish independence.
Seppo Kanerva, Harri Lindell and Rene Hursti are pleased that the Museum of Fine Arts and the Helsinki Cultural and Library Committee have both not warmed to the idea. They hope the initiative will not proceed to the Council for further consideration.
“The initiative shows a complete lack of judgement, placing a statue like that in a prime location of nationwide significance. A bastion of free thought like that would be better suited to an obscure location in the district of Kallio, if it is necessary at all. Some of our MPs have already indicated that they resent the whole idea,” the Finns Party councillors said in a joint statement.
The statement also points out that many children and young people will be frequenting the new library and could receive the wrong influence. They say there will also be several elderly library users who would not like the statue.
“A serious discussion of the matter will take place in the Council group,” says Finns Party Councillor Lindell. He says the item is on the agenda at a meeting scheduled for next week.