Finnish PM under investigation for monthly breakfast allowance

Dominating the political debate and making headlines for more than a week in Finland has been Prime Minister Sanna Marin and her family’s breakfast allowance reportedly worth €850 per month which has led to both the police and the tax authorities launching investigations.

The scandal, known as “breakfast-gate”, was first initiated by tabloid Iltalehti on 25 May, reporting that the prime minister and her family have been receiving €300 worth of breakfast items paid from the state coffers. Following the revelations, Marin said she had just been following arrangements made before her time in office.

The same tabloid later revealed that the PM’s monthly breakfast allowance actually amounted to €850, since it included not only breakfast but also cold meals.

The PM’s office then confirmed that food allowances amounted to a total of €14,363 since Marin and her family were in the residence.

Although the PM’s office defended the allowance as a standard practice that was in place under the rule of former prime ministers, the wife of former PM Paavo Lipponen, Päivi Lipponen, said that while living in the prime minister’s residence she was not only paying for the family’s foodstuff but also cleaned, cooked, and did the laundry “all by myself” and even paid the rent.

The tax administration has now opened an investigation to determine whether these allowances are tax-exempt, while the police has launched its own investigation into whether misconduct over expenses had taken place. Results are expected soon.

The PM announced on Tuesday that she will stop using the allowances even if they are found to be legal. Seems like there is no such thing as a free meal. (Pekka Vänttinen | EURACTIV.com)