Finnish authorities are investigating a series of suspicious break-ins at the homes of members of parliament, incidents Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said could potentially be linked to a foreign power.
Parliament Speaker Jussi Halla-aho said lawmakers had been informed of a “significant” number of break-ins and signs of attempted intrusions at the homes of several politicians, prompting an investigation.
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“I cannot comment precisely on the number of suspicious cases known to us, but in any event it is a significant number,” Halla-aho told a news conference. He said the incidents appeared to have taken place over an extended period, with the first believed to have occurred about a year ago.
“At this stage, there is no information about the motive or who is responsible,” he said.
Asked whether a foreign power could be behind the suspected break-ins, Orpo said it was “entirely possible. It is certainly possible these days.”
“If someone is trying to undermine stability in Finland, our sense of security or, for example, our support for Ukraine, it achieves the opposite result,” he added. “It only strengthens our unity.”
The investigation was announced after Finnish newspaper Ilta-Sanomat reported last week that members of parliament had been warned several days earlier about possible break-ins.
President Alexander Stubb said an “attack on a member of parliament is an attack on democracy.”
“It must not be allowed or accepted in any form,” he told reporters at a ceremony marking the launch of Finland’s new F-35 fighter jets in Rovaniemi in the country’s far north.
Most of the known incidents occurred in the Helsinki area and targeted politicians from different parties, both men and women.
Prime Minister Petteri Orpo
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Halla-aho said it was possible the intruders had deliberately left clear signs that they had been inside the homes. Finnish media reported cases in which doors were left open, lights were left on or objects were moved to make the intrusion obvious and unsettle the occupants.
One member of parliament reportedly returned home to find that someone had used the toilet and failed to flush.
Because the intruders apparently left without stealing anything or causing major damage, the incidents have raised suspicions that the objective may have been intimidation or psychological pressure against senior Finnish officials.
The investigation comes amid growing tension in northern Europe over fears of possible Russian military action against countries in the region, particularly the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, all former Soviet republics and now NATO members.
Finland, which maintained military neutrality for decades, joined NATO following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The move angered the Kremlin, particularly because Finland shares a 1,340-kilometer border with Russia, the longest Russian border held by any EU or NATO country.
Finnish military exercises
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Meanwhile, Finland’s government and Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen survived two separate no-confidence votes in parliament on Friday following criticism from opposition parties over the minister’s visit to Israel.
The Social Democratic Party filed a no-confidence motion against the right-wing government, accusing it of inconsistency in its Middle East policy. A separate motion by the Greens, backed by the Left Alliance and the Social Democrats, targeted Häkkänen personally.
Häkkänen survived by a vote of 114 to 61, while the government won its vote by 93 to 62.
The criticism followed Häkkänen’s September visit to Lebanon and Israel. In Israel, he met Defense Minister Israel Katz, primarily to discuss purchases of Israeli military equipment, including the David’s Sling missile defense system.
Finland and Israel signed a deal for the system in November 2023 amid Finnish concerns over a possible future conflict with Russia. Opposition parties also criticized Häkkänen for not meeting Palestinian representatives during the trip.
“It is still unclear whether Minister Häkkänen raised Israel’s violations of international law” against the Palestinian population during his visit, the Social Democratic Party said last week.
Häkkänen defended the visit, saying it was essential to Finland’s security.