Finland’s center-right government survives no-confidence vote over 2 right-wing ministers

By JARI TANNER and JAN M. OLSEN
Associated Press

HELSINKI (AP) — Finland’s center-right government has survived a no-confidence motion from three opposition parties over two ministers from the right-wing populist Finns Party at the center of a racism scandal that has rocked the Nordic country. Lawmakers voted 106-65 in favor of the Cabinet of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo. Debate ahead of the vote focused on writings from 2008 and 2016 by the two Finns Party members which were deemed racist. The opposition criticized Orpo’s government for not distancing itself enough from the writings and not doing enough to tackle discrimination and racism in Finland, which became NATO’s 31st member in April.