“We proudly support Andi Kaikkonen’s decision,” said Finance Minister and leader of the Center Party Anika Saariko
Finland’s defense minister’s party has welcomed his decision to take two months’ paternity leave amid the country’s NATO accession process.
“We are proud to support Andi Kaikkonen’s decision,” said Finance Minister and Center Party leader Annika Saariko.
Kaikonen announced on Tuesday via Twitter that he will take a two-month leave of absence from his duties starting January 6 to raise his second child, born in July.
“The kids are still young and I don’t want to remember them just from pictures,” she explained.
As in the other Nordic countries, it is common in Finland for men to take paternity leave after the birth of their child. They are entitled to 54 days leave and almost 80% use this right, although often not all of it is used. Politicians, however, rarely ask for paternity leave, and Kaikkonen is one of the first. Former Prime Minister Paavo Lipponen was the pioneer after taking paternity leave twice, but only for a few days.
Kaikkonen’s duties at the ministry will be temporarily taken over by Center Party MP Mikos Savola.
Finland and Sweden abandoned their neutrality policy after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and in May applied to join NATO. Of the Alliance’s 30 members, only Hungary and Turkey have yet to ratify membership, with the latter demanding that Stockholm and Helsinki take tougher measures against Kurdish organizations it considers “terrorist”.
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