Finnish minister sacked over text messages to dancer

FINLAND: FINNISH FOREIGN minister Ilkka Kanerva was sacked yesterday after a gossip magazine published suggestive text messages he sent to an erotic dancer, writes Derek Scally .

"This has been difficult for Ilkka. It is also the most difficult decision of my career as chairman," said a tearful Jyrki Katainen, the minister of finance and leader of the National Coalition Party.

"Ike is my friend, and he has done a wonderful job as foreign minister . . . [ but] he has has shown a great lack of judgment. He doesn't enjoy the full trust a minister needs."

Mr Kanerva denied initial reports about the text messages to the dancer, then claimed they were related to a birthday party booking.

Initially he enjoyed party support, but that began to crumble when press coverage at a weekend EU foreign ministers' meeting was dominated by Johanna Tukiainen, the blond, 29-year-old lead dancer with an erotic dance troupe, Scandinavian Dolls.

She approached Helsinki gossip magazine Hymy (Smile), which printed 24 of the 200 messages yesterday.

"Would you like to do it in an exotic place? Where could it be?" asks one message. "How would it be to touch you with my fingers in a night club?" asked another.

It wasn't the first time Mr Kanerva got into trouble for mobile phone flirting. In 2005, as parliamentary speaker, the 60-year-old, who is in an ongoing eight-year relationship and has two children, reportedly bombarded two models with messages.

© 2008 The Irish Times

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times