Eemeli Peltonen was named as the lawmaker who died by suicide in Finland’s parliament.
Peltonen, 30, was a member of parliament from the Social Democratic Party of Finland (SDP) and was serving in his first term, representing the constituency of Uusimaa.
“The death of Eemeli Peltonen deeply shocks me and all of us,” said SDP parliamentary group chair Tytti Tuppurainen in a statement, originally in Finnish.
“He was a very well-liked member of our community, and we will miss him greatly. A young life has ended far too soon. We share in the grief of his loved ones and wish them strength in the midst of their sorrow.”
In Peltonen’s final post on his Instagram account, he had spoken of receiving treatment for kidney disease and then contracting a secondary infection, which had caused him to take medical leave from his parliamentary role.
Eemeli Peltonen, pictured, was an MP with the SDP in Finland’s Parliament.
Eemeli Peltonen, pictured, was an MP with the SDP in Finland’s Parliament.
Eemeli Peltonen/Instagram
Peltonen was elected to parliament in the 2023 elections with 5,747 votes, and he served on its administration and legal affairs committees, Ilta-Sanomat reported.
He was also a member of the Järvenpää City Council and the Chairman of the City Board—the youngest in its history—having first been elected to the authority at 18 years old.
Antti Kaikkonen, a Finnish MP and chair of the Centre Party, who previously served as defense minister, paid tribute to Peltonen in a post on X, calling him “a talented young Member of Parliament.”
“I also came to know him as a warm and sympathetic person. The news of Eemeli’s passing is shocking and deeply saddening,” Kaikkonen said, originally in Finnish.
“I extend my deepest condolences to Eemeli’s family and loved ones. Wishing them strength in their great sorrow.”
Finland’s Iltalehti newspaper had first reported that a lawmaker had died by suicide in the parliament building on Tuesday, August 19.
Aaro Toivonen, director of security at the Finnish Parliament, confirmed to the newspaper that there had been a death in the building, but did not give further information.
Another Finnish newspaper, Ilta-Sanomat, reported the same. Toivonen, asked about it by Finland’s public broadcaster Yle, did not dispute the information reported by Iltalehti.
“Parliament will not comment further on the case while the coroner’s investigation is ongoing,” said a statement from the parliament confirming the death, adding that its community “shares in the grief of the relatives.”
File image. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, second left in the gallery with Speaker of Parliament Jussi Halla-aho during his visit to the Parliament, in Helsinki, Finland, Wednesday, March 19, 2025.
File image. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, second left in the gallery with Speaker of Parliament Jussi Halla-aho during his visit to the Parliament, in Helsinki, Finland, Wednesday, March 19, 2025.
Heikki Saukkomaa/Lehtikuva via AP
Finland’s Prime Minister Petteri Orpo expressed his shock and sadness at a colleague’s death in parliament, Ilta-Sanomat reported.
There are 200 members of the Finnish parliament, called the eduskunta, each elected for four-year terms. It is currently in summer recess until September.
Update, 8/19/25, 10:50 a.m. ET: This article was updated with more information.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text “988” to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.