National Coalition Party leader Petteri Orpo took to Facebook to respond to the uproar over his comments about Defence Minister Antti Kaikkonen (Cen) going on parental leave.
The Centre Party announced on 15 December that Mikko Savola (Cen) will be replacing Kaikkonen while the latter is on paternity leave in January and February.
"Children are only small for a short time, and I want to have memories from more than just photos," Kaikkonen said of the decision.
Kaikkonen's leave comes as Finland nears the finish line of the Nato application process. Hungary and Turkey are the only Nato members that are yet to ratify Finland's application.
There is a Nato ministerial meeting in February, but Kaikkonen said preparations for that have been underway for some time.
Petteri Orpo criticised the parental leave's timing during a newspaper interview published on Monday.
"I don't understand why Kaikkonen is taking paternity leave now, when he could take it after the elections. We are in the middle of the Nato process and Antti has all the information about it," Orpo said.
The comments sparked an intense reaction on social media.
Green party chair Maria Ohisalo was among those to criticise Orpo's comments.
"We just reformed the parental leave system so that it encourages men in particular to take on more caring responsibilities. NCP's Orpo is frazzled by the Defence Minister's decision to take parental leave. Personally, I wish Antti and the little one the best of times together," Ohisalo tweeted.
On Wednesday Orpo backtracked on his criticism both via a post on Facebook.
The Facebook post read that this had been a learning experience for the politician.
"I asked my children today if, when they were small, I was with them enough. 'Sure, you were busy at work, but we never felt like you didn't have time for us.' What an instructive experience the turmoil over my comments about Antti has been. It made me think. Reminded of the importance of focusing, in the midst of such crises - even this Christmas season - on those closest to us. It is never too late for a politician to learn a lesson." the NCP leader wrote.
Orpo also clarified his comments to Yle, saying that Kaikkonen's decision was understandable.
"Of course I understand that family leaves are taken when the time is right and on the terms of each family and child. I think Kaikkonen has been a good defence minister, whose contribution to the Nato process is very important," Orpo wrote in a message to Yle.