Räsänen drove home after a leisure evening and was stopped at a checkpoint in Espoo on Kehä 1, he stated on Facebook. 5 promille), he said. He was fined 40 day-fines totaling 2,300 euros, which he has already paid.
Räsänen said he consulted occupational health to assess potential alcohol problems, but no indications were found. "The act was wrong. I feel deep shame and regret and take full responsibility," Räsänen said.
Driving under the influence of alcohol is wrong.
He will not seek continuation as chair of SDP's party board or Uusimaa district. The SDP parliamentary group discussed the matter, and Räsänen received a serious reprimand from the party leadership. Party chair Antti Lindtman did not directly reject Räsänen's candidacy for the parliamentary elections.
The Uusimaa district had nominated Räsänen as a candidate in March, before the incident, and he can still be a candidate. According to Ilta-Sanomat, SDP Uusimaa district executive director Jouni Gustafsson described drunk driving as wrong and said it would be up to the district board to evaluate the matter if it comes to that, though no one has demanded formal review. Gustafsson also noted that Räsänen will receive his punishment from the judicial system and voters will decide his future.
I do not personally decide on the matter; it would be up to the district board to evaluate if it comes to that.
fi, SDP parliamentary group chair Tytti Tuppurainen described drunk driving as unacceptable and said Räsänen's future as MP is for voters to decide. Räsänen is known as the economic policy right hand of SDP chair Antti Lindtman. In a separate case, Finnish MP Päivi Räsänen of the Christian Democratic Party was convicted by the Supreme Court on one charge of hate speech related to a 2004 pamphlet on homosexuality.
The pamphlet was published by the Luther Foundation Finland / Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland, and Bishop Juhana Pohjola, who published it, was also convicted. The court voted 3–2 to convict Räsänen for the pamphlet, saying it insulted homosexuals as a group based on sexual orientation. The conviction was for describing homosexuality as a 'developmental disorder' and claiming it was 'scientifically proven'.
I do not know if the district board will formally address the issue; so far no one has demanded it.
The Supreme Court unanimously acquitted Räsänen on a charge related to a 2019 social media post featuring Romans 1:24–27, which criticized the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland for participating in Helsinki Pride. The judge noted that the conduct did not involve incitement to violence and was not particularly serious. Räsänen had led opposition against Finland's same-sex marriage law in 2017.
ADF International represented Räsänen and Pohjola in the case. The case has drawn international attention regarding freedom of expression and hate speech laws. Räsänen is considering an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.
Räsänen will receive his punishment from the judicial system, and then voters will decide his future.
US House Republicans invited Räsänen to testify on European online censorship laws. Päivi Räsänen has been a member of parliament since 1995 and was a former interior minister. In a previous incident, she left a parliamentary debate on alcohol liberalization to attend to a political aid with suspected alcohol poisoning, according to Finnish newspaper Aamulehti.
The incident occurred during a debate on the Alcohol Act, while an office Christmas party was taking place. "I propose moving the debate to the morning to allow time to read a 200-page committee report," Räsänen said at the time. The Finnish government voted on the Alcohol Act on 19 December, with further discussions on 28 December.
As Räsänen himself said at the press conference, this incident does not improve his standing.
5%, allowing happy hour advertising, and deregulating opening hours.
Drunk driving is not acceptable. Räsänen's future as MP is for voters to decide.