World News

Finnish politician Eemeli Peltonen, 30, found dead in parliament after taking his own life

By Anthony Blair

Published Aug. 19, 2025, 1:35 p.m. ET

A Finnish politician has been found dead after reportedly committing suicide in the country’s parliament, according to local reports.

Eemeli Peltonen, 30, a first-term member of parliament for the left-wing Social Democratic Party (SDP), had been suffering from a kidney disease and was on sick leave when he took his own life Tuesday morning inside Finland’s Parliament Building in the capital, Helsinki, Finnish outlet YLE reported.

Police were called to the parliament just after 11 a.m. Tuesday after reports that an MP had committed suicide inside the building, and Peltonen was identified later.

Photo of Eemeli Peltonen, a member of the Finnish parliament. 3

Finnish MP Eemeli Peltonen, 30, has been found dead inside his country’s parliament. Lehtikuva/AFP via Getty Images

“The passing of Eemeli Peltonen deeply shocks me and all of us. He was a much-loved member of our community and we will miss him deeply,” chairwoman of the SDP parliamentary group Tytti Tuppurainen said in a statement on Tuesday.

“A young life has ended far too early. We share in the grief of the relatives and wish them strength in their time of mourning.”

The exact circumstances surrounding the young politician’s death have not been released.

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In his final social media post in June, Peltonen had spoken of his health struggles after being unable to work for much of the spring parliamentary session.

“In May, I got good care at Helsinki University Hospital for kidney problems that suddenly appeared in me, which were diagnosed as minimal change disease. After this, I had time to stay home for a few weeks and prepare to return to everyday life,” he wrote on Instagram.

“Later, however, it turned out that I unfortunately contracted bacteria during the treatment period. To control the bacteria, I was started on an intravenous antibiotic course … which will take time. At the same time, the treatment of my kidney problems will continue,” he wrote.

Portrait of Eemeli Peltonen, a Finnish MP. 3

Peltonen, who was elected in 2023, had been suffering from kidney disease. Lehtikuva/AFP via Getty Images

Finnish Parliament building in Helsinki. 3

Police were called to the Finnish parliament building in Helsinki on Tuesday morning. LEHTIKUVA/AFP via Getty Images

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“I have already been discharged from the hospital, but due to the situation, I am on summer sick leave and am now fully focused on recovering from my illness,” he added.

Peltonen was elected to Finland’s parliament in 2023 for Uusimaa, the region surrounding Helsinki.

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He had been a politician since he was a teenager after he was elected to his local city council at 18.

He graduated from the University of Helsinki with a master’s degree in political science in 2020.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5764260&forum_id=2],#49198550)