Finland’s Economy Minister Vilhelm Junnila resigned Friday—just 10 days into the job—over previous statements he made referencing Nazis and Adolf Hitler. Junnila, a member of the right-wing populist Finns Party, praised another party member during his election campaign for having the candidate number 88—a white supremacist numerical code referencing Heil Hitler. “First of all, congratulations for the excellent candidate number. I know it’s a winning card. Obviously, this 88 refers to two H letters which we won’t say more about,” the minister said, according to Finnish broadcaster YLE. He later apologized, condemning the “holocaust, antisemitism and all antisemitic acts completely.” His colleagues across the aisle called for a vote of no confidence in Parliament, which Junnila managed to scrape by unscathed on Wednesday. He nonetheless resigned Friday, saying in a statement, “For the continuation of the government and the reputation of Finland, I see that it is impossible for me to continue as a minister in a satisfactory way.”
