Finnish lawmakers post slanted-eye gestures after Miss Finland loses title

Finnish lawmakers from the right-wing Finns Party posted images of themselves making slanted-eye gestures after Miss Finland Sarah Dzafce was stripped of her title in Finland on Dec. 11 over a photo widely criticized as racist toward Asians.

The lawmakers said the posts were meant to show support for Dzafce, whose removal followed days of backlash after an image of her making the same gesture circulated on Finnish social media.

The controversy began after a photo surfaced showing Dzafce pulling back the corners of her eyes alongside the caption “Kiinalaisen kaa syomas,” which translates to “Eating with a Chinese person.” The combination of the gesture and caption was widely viewed as mocking people of East Asian descent, prompting criticism from Asian communities in Finland and abroad. The image spread quickly across platforms, drawing calls for accountability from users who questioned whether Dzafce should continue representing Finland in international pageants.

Miss Finland national director Sunneva Sjögren initially addressed the incident by saying the organization regretted the “bad will and inappropriate behavior” caused by the photo and would monitor developments. Days later, pageant officials announced Dzafce’s removal, citing the standards and accountability expected of a national titleholder. First runner-up Tara Lehtonen was subsequently named Miss Finland.

After Dzafce’s removal, several members of Parliament posted photos of themselves making the same eye-pulling gesture, saying the posts were meant to show support for the former Miss Finland and criticize the response to the controversy. Finnish media reported that the lawmakers’ actions drew swift criticism from other politicians, who said the gestures repeated behavior that had already been widely condemned as offensive.

The lawmakers involved belong to the Finns Party, a right-wing populist party whose name translates to “The Party for Finns.” The party is known for its anti-immigration and anti-refugee platform and rose to become the second-largest party in Finland following the country’s parliamentary election in April last year.

Dzafce has apologized for the controversy while denying responsibility for the caption attached to the image. In an interview with Finnish outlet Seiska, she said a friend wrote the text without her involvement, stating, “That text is not written by me and is not related to my purpose in any way.”