The government should not participate in events like last weekend's Helsinki Pride parade, if all of its members do not agree on supporting them, according to Sari Essayah, leader of the Christian Democrats and recently appointed Minister for Agriculture and Forestry.
Commenting on Yle TV1's breakfast programme on Wednesday, Essayah echoed the sentiments of her party's former leader, MP Päivi Räsänen.
On Saturday, the Helsinki Pride march drew more than 100,000 participants, including some members of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo's (NCP) government, but not members of the Christian Democrats or the Finns Party. Orpo did not participate in the event, however.
The government ministers who did take part, from the NCP and SPP, carried a rainbow-coloured banner with "Council of State" printed on it in Finnish and Swedish.
Sharing a photo of government members at the Pride event on Twitter, Räsänen asked: "With whose permission and decision did the Council of State participate in the Helsinki Pride 2023 event?"
On Wednesday morning, Essayah concurred with Räsänen, saying that the government needs to share a unified opinion in such cases.
"As a government, we cannot participate if we do not all share the same ideological and very strong political views that are being represented by the Pride movement," she said.
Essayah said that the government had not agreed to participate in the event in an official capacity.
"Of course, individual ministers can participate as private individuals. But it is worth noting that Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, for example, was not present during Saturday's Pride celebration," Essayah said.
She added that the government should have discussed the issue in advance.
"We are a public authority and personally I would refrain from participating as an official in such highly politicised events. You also have to understand that we have people behind us who do not share the views of the Pride movement," the minister said.
Pride and politics
The government members who took part included newly appointed cabinet members, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Kai Mykkänen (NCP), Minister of Science and Culture Sari Multala (NCP) and Minister for European Affairs and Ownership Steering, Anders Adlercreutz (SPP).
They were joined by Helsinki mayor Juhana Vartiainen and deputy mayor Daniel Sazonov, both members of the NCP.
Helsinki Pride excluded the NCP as an official partner due to the party's lack of consistent support for the new trans law, which Parliament approved in February. Pride also excluded the Centre Party for the same reason.
The Finnish Council of State – essentially the government – has participated in Helsinki Pride since at least around 2015, according to Vivikka Richt, communications director at the social and health ministry, the body responsible for gender equality issues.
According to Richt, this year marked the first time that there has been debate over the government's participation.
Richt pointed out that the term Council of State can be defined in various ways, and does not always literally mean the cabinet.
In the case of the Pride event, Richt told Yle that the Council of State referred to the whole body, made up of various ministries, not the cabinet specifically.
She said in the case of ministries taking part in an event that promotes equality, decisions about such delineations are not made by individual parties.
The Council of State has an informal network for cooperation on LGBTI issues consisting of representatives from various ministries, the Office of the Non-Discrimination Ombudsman, the Office of the Ombudsman for Equality, and civil society organisations. The Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health coordinate the activities of the network.
The government's participation in Pride has been coordinated by the network since 2019. In the ensuing years, representatives of various ministries have taken part in Helsinki Pride marches.
"When we participate together in an activity organised by such a network, then of course we also participate in it by name," Richt said.
The ministry's communication director said the question of whether the government will take part in next year's Pride march has not yet been discussed, adding that she assumes it will be.