Finland is facing international condemnation after Sarah Dzafce, the country’s Miss Universe 2025 delegate, posted a photo mocking East Asians by pulling the corners of her eyes a gesture widely regarded as offensive and disrespectful.
The controversial image, captioned “eating with a Chinese,” was shared on December 11, 2025, and immediately drew backlash across Japan, South Korea, and China, putting Finland in an embarrassing spotlight.
Dzafce, who has since been stripped of her Miss Finland crown, claimed the gesture was a reaction to a headache during dinner, and that a friend had added the offensive caption without her consent, according to local tabloid Ilta-Sanomat.
Despite her apology on Instagram on December 12, 2025, in which she stated, “That was not my intention in any way… One of the most important things for me is respect for people, their backgrounds and differences,” critics slammed the apology as insincere since it was written in Finnish.
The controversy even spread to Finland’s political sphere when two right-wing MPs, Juho Eerola and Kaisa Garedew, posted photos mimicking Dzafce’s gesture to show support. Following backlash, the posts were removed, and Eerola later apologized, claiming the beauty queen received “disproportionately harsh punishment.”
Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, on December 15, 2025, condemned both Dzafce’s actions and the MPs’ mimicry, calling the behavior “thoughtless, childish, and damaging” to Finland’s global reputation. He stressed that lawmakers should lead by example and uphold proper conduct.
The Finns Party is reportedly deliberating whether the MPs will face any sanctions for their actions, while international criticism continues to mount.
