MP Olli Immonen told at The Finns Party press conference on Wednesday that he would ask to resign from the parliamentary group until mid-October.

Immonen said that he had come to the conclusion quite spontaneously. Maybe he has received nonetheless consultation on the issue.

Immonen’s article on opposition to multiculturalism has caused The Finns Party embarrassing publicity. The Party apparently thought that with a temporary stepping down the matter can be already forgotten.

The resignation came into force just in time before the start of the parliament in the autumn. Thus the party’s other MPs may refuse to comment on the matter, saying that Immonen is not a member of the group.

Ero tulee voimaan sopivasti ennen eduskunnan syyskauden alkua. Näin puolueen muut kansanedustajat voivat kieltäytyä kommentoimasta asiaa sanomalla, että Immonen ei ole ryhmän jäsen.

Immonen defended the original post on the grounds that the text was published on his private Facebook account. MPs need to understand that their actions are under closer supervision in public than of the ordinary citizen. The voter does not know how to distinguish between the opinions of Immonen as an individual from the opinions of Immonen as an MP.

The handling of the stir was almost like an example taken from a political crisis communications manual. But only almost. The crisis communications instruction is: if you screwed up, and you get caught, immediately recognize, apologize and promise to improve.But do not explain.

[Tundra Tabloids: Only of you’re caught doing something blatantly wrong, not for being in the center of a political smear campaign that’s helped along by the willing media (HS) for verbal rhetoric that other politicians engage in, and get a free pass in doing, simply because they belong to the Left]

Immonen did not admit to anything from the very beginning. On the contrary, he released a new post, which thought that the party’s majority agreed with him, “despite the current chairman.” Only after the scandal rose high enough, Immonen, who pointed out that he meant “the battle against multiculturalism” was just a rhetorical expression. But the damage had already been done.

[Tundra Tabloids: In other words, Immonen and every other politician should take their marching orders from hack journalists and their political opposition [many times one in the same).Thanks to the HS which refused to uphold high journalist standards, who could have pointed out that such language is in regular use elsewhere in the Finnish political spectrum, as well as in the US and throughout the West]

Veteran journalist, Risto Uimonen, chairman for the Council for Mass Media was invited  to the press conference. He estimated that the fuss would have been manageable if the party leadership would have immediately stepped into the public domain and rejected all forms of racism. That’s not what happened, instead, chairman Timo Soini, declined to comment, because he wanted to go on vacation.

[Tundra Tabloids: Never mind the fact that it wasn’t racism in any shape or form in opposing multiculturalism, the man is married to a non-ethnic Finn, what’s in question here is crass political opportunism in place of factual reporting, which continues in the same in this HS editorial.]

It would, moreover, have been detrimental in terms of the party’s support, if Soini would have condemned the racist rhetoric. A large amount of “immigration-criticism” is shared by the party’s supporters.

HS. Translation:TT