Finnish PM grilled by progressive MEPs over far-right alliance

Finland's prime minister addressed on Wednesday the European Parliament and outlined his political priorities for the next legislature.

Transcript

00:00 [MUSIC PLAYING]

00:03 My government is committed to a strong European Union,

00:19 an EU that acts, not only reacts.

00:23 We want to build a union that takes

00:25 care of our common security and works for our economy.

00:30 Upholding the rule of law in Europe

00:33 must remain our core principle.

00:35 [MUSIC PLAYING]

00:38 [MUSIC PLAYING]

00:42 Are you proud of your finance minister

00:59 when she poses on social media with the large scissors,

01:03 expressing satisfaction at cutting people's income

01:08 and social security?

01:10 Do you feel comfortable caverning

01:13 with a minister who declared himself a Nazi?

01:18 And this person is still a minister?

01:21 Mr. Orpo, your alliance with the far right

01:25 is the real threat to our democracy

01:28 and to the European project.

01:30 This is why the future--

01:32 [APPLAUSE]

01:34 This is why the future of the European Union is at stake.

01:39 I disagree with Iratsegatia on a lot of things

01:41 and with the far left as well.

01:42 But at least we have a common base.

01:45 We have a common base, and that is that human dignity

01:49 is indivisible.

01:51 None of us says that some human beings are inferior

01:54 or implies this.

01:56 And this is why I believe that people like us should never,

01:59 never go into alliances with people who de facto consider

02:03 some human beings as inferior.

02:06 That's what you did in Finland.

02:07 [MUSIC PLAYING]

02:33 Madam Kassia Peräs, and for many others also,

02:40 there is no right wing, far right, far right parties

02:45 in my government.

02:47 Finnish government is pro rule of law.

02:51 It's pro democracy.

02:53 It's pro equal center rights.

02:56 It's pro Ukraine, pro European Union.

03:00 (upbeat music)