Table of Contents
- Apology from Prime Minister
- Incident Details
- Public Reactions
- Miss Finland Organization's Response
- New Title Holder
Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo has been compelled to issue an apology for a deeply offensive racist gesture made by the country's disgraced former beauty queen.
The controversy erupted earlier this month when Miss Finland winner Sarah Dzafce was photographed pulling her eyes back in a social media post that was captioned “Eating with a Chinese person.”
Former Miss Finland Sarah Dzafce was compelled to apologize after the shocking racist actCredit: AP
She was stripped of her crown just three months after winning itCredit: Jam Press
Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo was left embarrassed after the incidentCredit: AFP
The 22-year-old faced severe consequences and was stripped of the crown she had held for only three months after winning it in September.
This racism controversy has now shaken the country’s parliament, as several politicians followed Dzafce's poor example by sharing similar photos of their own.
Members of the Finns Party, Kaisa Garedew and Juho Eerola, along with MEP Sebastian Tynkkynen, reportedly shared similar eye-pulling images, according to state broadcaster Yle.
Eerola has since apologized for his post.
Finnish media has labeled it the “slanted eyes” scandal, marking yet another embarrassment for the Finns Party, a junior partner in the government, which has faced repeated accusations of racist remarks and posts.
Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, whose pro-business National Coalition Party heads a four-party coalition that includes the Finns, intervened on Wednesday with a formal apology.
He stated: “These posts do not reflect Finland’s values of equality and inclusion,” 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 addressing this issue.”
Dzafce’s post was met with widespread condemnation and incited significant backlash online.
The former Miss Finland initially claimed that the image depicted her rubbing her temples and stretching her eyes due to a “severe headache,” but later had to retract this explanation.
Born in Oulu to a Finnish mother and a Kosovan father, Dzafce expressed to 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 detailed apology online, accepting responsibility for the consequences.
“I fully understand that my actions have caused many negative 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 released on Wednesday, the Miss Finland Organization declared that it does not tolerate racism or discriminatory behavior in any form.
The following day, the organization publicly apologized and confirmed during a press conference that Dzafce had been stripped of her title.
The statement read: “The Miss Finland Organization clearly and unequivocally states that we do not accept racism or discriminatory behavior in any form.
The 22-year-old has since apologized 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 actions of our representative.”
Runner-up Tara Lehtonen has since been
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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