Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP) says that the time is not yet right for Finland to recognise Palestine as a state.
During the regular prime minister's interview hour on Yle’s Radio Suomi, Orpo was asked whether he agrees with President Alexander Stubb that it is only a matter of time before Finland grants recognition, but that doing so now would be rewarding Hamas for its terrorist activities.
"I agree that a decision should not be made at this very moment," Orpo replied, adding that recognition at the right juncture could be "of great importance". So far some 15 European countries, including neighbouring Sweden and Norway, have recognised Palestinian statehood.
In the roundtable discussion with journalists from major media outlets, Orpo also reiterated that the West's support for Ukraine cannot waver.
When asked about western countries allowing Ukraine to use donated weapons on the Russian territory, Orpo said it is "understandable that the response must be tougher" when considering Russia's actions in Ukraine.
Support for Yle funding decision and ban on "conversion therapy"
On the domestic front, the PM voiced his support for a recent parliamentary decision on cutting funding for the state-owned Finnish Broadcasting Company (Yle).
"Obviously, considering all the savings that we have to make in different areas, it is important that Yle participates in these [budget cuts] as well," he said.
He stressed that the legislature, not the government, is responsible for overseeing the public broadcaster, adding that "it is very important for us in the NCP that this principle is adhered to".
A day earlier, deputy prime minister and finance minister Riikka Purra (Finns) seemed to question the need for parliamentary decision-making on Yle.
Orpo also expressed his backing for a ban on so-called "conversion therapy," targeted at members of sexual and gender minorities. Discussion of a citizens’ initiative on the matter was shelved this week by a Finns Party committee chair in Parliament.
"I think it's completely against human nature to somehow try to train someone to be something other than what they are," Orpo said.
The prime minister's interview hour, launched in 1962, is broadcast every couple of months, usually from Kesäranta, the PM’s official residence in the Meilahti neighbourhood.
