The Media Monitoring Group of Finland has received some disturbing news about how Perussuomalaiset (PS) Minister for Foreign Trade Wille Rydman allegedly sent hostile messages to Alex Rühle, the Nordic correspondent of the Munich-based daily Süddeutsche Zeitung.
We offer our 100% support to Rühle and condemn forcibly Rydman, the PS, and the government for intimidating the media.
In a message below retrieved from Twitter, Rühle states that he’s received another “disgusting, poisoned letter from Rydman.”
The embattled minister, whose racist emails were made public in July by Helsingin Sanomat, Rydman has accused certain Finnish activists and academics of conspiring with the foreign media to discredit the government.
Rydman’s action against the daily is an affront to press freedom. We shouldn’t be surprised by Rydman’s behavior since it is the way radical right parties operate. If they don’t get their way, they attack democratic institutions like the media.
For further reading: The daily has covered (in German) numerous scandals of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s government:
- A right [wing government] in shambles (31.7.2023)
- Finance minister’s inflammatory texts surfaced again (17.7.2023)
- Racism debate: Finnish government in trouble (14.7.2023)
- Government gets into trouble (14.7.2023)
- And she [Riikka Purra] has no regrets (13.7.2023)
- If they gave me [Riikka Purra] a gun (11.7.2023)
- The next right-wing populist (Wille Rydman) (11.7.2023)
- The cabinet of horrors (4.7.2023)
- Very embarrassing to say the least (30.6.2023)
- Arsonists in the government (26.6.2023)
- Finnish parliament speaker used to be a far-right blogger (21.6.2023)
- New Finnish Government in Office – Farewell to Sanna Marin (20.6.2023)
[1] Media Monitoring Group of Finland aims to promote fair and accurate reporting by the Finnish media of underrepresented cultural, racial, ethnic, and religious groups. As Finland’s cultural diversity continues to grow, the role of the media in forming public opinion and attitudes about minorities becomes even more relevant.
