Rantanen survives no-confidence motion

Interior Minister Mari Rantanen on Wednesday survived a no-confidence motion brought against her in the parliament by two opposition parties for her alleged biasness to Christian religion.

Oppositions Vihreä liitto (Finnish Green League) and Vasemmistoliitto (Left Alliance) filed the interpellation against Rantanen on March 7 over the handling of refugee quota process where the minister reportedly instructed the ministry officials to prefer refugees from Christian-majority countries.

Rantanen won the motion by 94 votes to 53 with 15 abstentions and 37 lawmakers absent. ​

The interpellation was submitted after the ombudsman issued a report on March 6 accusing that the interior ministry had favoured asylum seekers from Christian-majority countries.

The ombudsman's report said that the targets of the Perussuomalaiset (Finns Party) regarding immigration and Islamophobia affected policymaking.

Earlier, the minister also faced a no-confidence motion in the parliament over the handling of refugee quota process in late 2024 but she survived the no-confidence motion.

The four-party alliance government led by Kansallinen Kokoomus (National Coalition Party-NCP) in November 2024 decided that Finland will receive 500 refugees under the refugee quota in 2025.