Finland probes suspected break-ins at MPs' homes as possible foreign interference
Finnish police are investigating multiple reports of suspected break-ins at the homes of members of parliament in the Helsinki area. The incidents are said to have taken place over the past year, and investigators say nothing was stolen. Officials have described the case as a possible national security concern because of the people targeted and the pattern of the alleged intrusions.
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Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said a foreign power could be responsible, calling that possibility "very possible" and saying the matter would be taken seriously by both police and the government. He linked the issue to the risk of election interference, with parliamentary elections due in about six months. Orpo also said that attempts to destabilise Finland or weaken support for Ukraine would have the opposite effect and strengthen national unity.
President Alexander Stubb said an attack on a member of parliament is an attack on democracy and said such conduct should not be accepted in any form. Parliament speaker Jussi Halla-aho said he did not have an exact number of suspected cases, but described the situation as significant. He said the behaviour was the kind sometimes associated with state actors, while stressing that there was no information to confirm who was behind it.
The case comes at a time of strained relations between Finland and Russia, with the border between the two countries closed for years after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine and Finland's entry into Nato. Orpo said there have been attempts in several European countries to influence elections, placing the Finnish investigation in a wider regional context. The allegations also touch on concerns about the security of elected officials and the resilience of democratic institutions.
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According to the information made public, the suspected incidents involved subtle signs of entry rather than obvious theft. Reports cited by officials included doors being left open and lights being left on, although the exact number of cases has not been confirmed. Halla-aho said observations had emerged gradually and suggested the marks may have been left deliberately visible, but he did not identify any suspect or motive.
Police said they had received information from parliament and were continuing their investigation. What remains unclear is whether the incidents were linked, who may have been responsible, and whether any foreign actor was involved. The next developments are likely to come from police findings and any further government assessment of the security risk ahead of the election campaign.
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