New leader of Finland's opposition party Antti Lindtman defends old photo of Nazi salute

The election of the new leader of Finland's largest opposition party, the Finnish Social Democratic Party (SDP), has been marred by the reemergence of an old photograph featuring him alongside two partially unclothed individuals making Nazi salutes.

Antti Lindtman, the recently elected leader of the SDP, found himself at the center of a controversy when an old image resurfaced, depicting him posing with four friends during a Christmas party at his secondary school over two decades ago. In the photograph, Lindtman is seen holding a fake handgun while wearing a balaclava. Importantly, Lindtman himself is not giving a Nazi salute.

This issue first emerged several weeks ago but has resurfaced with renewed intensity following Lindtman's victory in the SDP leadership contest, where he succeeded former Prime Minister Sanna Marin.

Lindtman's Response

In response to the resurfaced photograph, the 41-year-old leader has attempted to distance himself from the image. He confirmed the authenticity of the image and expressed his discomfort with it, stating, "Even though the pictures are from my youth, I'm not hugely proud of them."

Lindtman told Ilta-Sanomat, a Finnish newspaper, that the photograph had been taken by his school filmmaking club as part of a series. He had requested its removal from the club's website 15 years ago, but the image was subsequently leaked on social media by an unknown source.

Regarding the individuals in the photo making Nazi salutes, Lindtman clarified, "It seems the guys went a bit too far with their poses… I was not and am not a Nazi sympathiser. Not back then and not now. Quite the contrary: I don't think the neo-Nazis liked my [political] views even then."

SDP Under Scrutiny

This controversy surrounding Lindtman's old photograph comes as the SDP, now Finland's primary opposition party after narrowly losing a parliamentary election in April, faces questions regarding its party secretary, Mikkel Nakkalajarvi. It has been revealed that Nakkalajarvi, 33, beat his neighbor's cat to death with a shovel during a summer holiday in 2006, a fact he did not disclose to the party. The crime only came to light 13 years later during the 2019 European election campaign when it was reported by a newspaper.

Nakkalajarvi addressed his troubled past during the SDP party conference on Saturday, emphasising his desire for a Finland where "anyone can become anything—a country where everyone can succeed, but also fail and try again."

The controversy surrounding both Lindtman's photograph and Nakkalajarvi's undisclosed past has added a layer of complexity to the political landscape in Finland, with implications for the SDP's role as the leading opposition party.