FINNISH prime minister Petteri Orpo has been forced to apologise for a disgusting racist gesture made by the country’s disgraced former beauty star.
The storm kicked off earlier this month when Miss Finland winner Sarah Dzafce was snapped pulling her eyes back in a social media post with the caption “Eating with a Chinese person”.
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Former Miss Finland Sarah Dzafce was forced to apologise after the shocking racist stuntCredit: AP
She was stripped of her crown after only three monthsCredit: Jam Press
Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo was left red-faced after the ordealCredit: AFP
The 22-year-old paid a heavy price and was stripped of the crown she had held for only three months after she won it in September.
The racism row has now rocked the country’s parliament after several politicians followed Dzafce’s shoddy example by posting copycat pictures of their own.
Finns Party MPs Kaisa Garedew and Juho Eerola shared similar eye pulling photos, along with MEP Sebastian Tynkkynen, according to state broadcaster Yle.
Eerola has since said sorry for his post.
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SHE’S FINNISHED
Miss Finland beauty queen STRIPPED of title for disgusting racist gesture
Finnish media have branded it the “slanted eyes” scandal and it is the latest embarrassment for the Finns Party, a junior partner in the government, which has repeatedly been accused of racist posts and comments.
Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, whose pro-business National Coalition Party leads a four-party coalition that includes the Finns, stepped in on Wednesday with a formal apology.
He said: “These posts do not reflect Finland’s values of equality and inclusion,” Mr Orpo said in statements released by Finnish embassies in China, Japan and South Korea.
“Our message in Finland and to all our friends abroad is that the government takes racism seriously and is committed to combating the issue.”
Dzafce’s post was widely criticised and sparked a massive backlash online.
The former Miss Finland initially claimed the image showed her rubbing her temples and stretching her eyes due to a “severe headache”, but was later forced to row back.
Born in Oulu to a Finnish mother and Kosovan father, Dzafce told reporters at a press conference: “I am very sorry to everyone I have offended and hurt by my actions on social media.”
She also posted a lengthy apology online, taking responsibility for the fallout.
“I fully understand that my actions have caused many bad feelings and I am deeply sorry for that,” she wrote.
“The Miss Suomi [Miss Finland] title is not just a crown for me, but also a responsibility.”
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Miss Finland Organisation said it does not accept racism or discriminatory behaviour in any form.
The following day, the organisation apologised publicly and confirmed during a press conference that Dzafce had been stripped of her title.
The statement read: “The Miss Finland Organization states clearly and unambiguously that we do not accept racism or discriminatory behaviour in any form.
The 22-year-old has since apologised at a press conference and through a social media postCredit: Jam Press
Tara Lehtonen, the runner-up, has since been crowned the new Miss Finland 2025Credit: Jam Press
“We are deeply sorry for the offense and distress caused by the conduct of our representative.”
Runner-up Tara Lehtonen has since been crowned the new Miss Finland.
After accepting the title, Lehtonen told her Instagram followers she was determined to move forward positively.
She said: “Today, I have accepted the title of Miss Finland 2025.
“I promise to carry this title with pride and great respect.”
Lehtonen added: “This is a completely exceptional situation, and the fact that my role as Miss Finland begins in the middle of the year makes this journey different from usual.”
The Miss Finland Organisation added it remains committed to transparency and rebuilding trust following the incident.