Finland's youth minister overrode officials to give two Christian groups youth grants, one linked to his own congregation; a civil servant dissented.
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What happened
In March 2026, Minister of Youth, Sport and Physical Activity Mika Poutala (Christian Democrats) granted EUR 11,500 each to Iso Kirja and the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Mission (SEKL) in youth-organization grants, although ministry officials had not proposed funding for either because they did not meet the general grant conditions, according to Yle. He also removed a cap officials had applied limiting year-on-year changes to EUR 10,000; five other organizations lost proposed grants. Yle reports Poutala is a member of a Pentecostal congregation and that Iso Kirja runs a Pentecostal training institute; the husband of MP Päivi Räsänen is rector of SEKL's seminary. The presenting civil servant filed dissenting opinions arguing the decisions were unequal and departed from the stated criteria, and four complaints were filed with the Chancellor of Justice (per Yle). Poutala says he harmonized practice between the sports and youth sectors, that the change also helped non-Christian organizations, that personal motives played no role, and that he did nothing wrong.
Sources (3)
Response
Contacted and made an on-record admission — exact wording not on record.
What happened next (0)
No outcome recorded yet.