The dismissal of Finland's honorary consul to Barcelona, Albert Ginjaume, should lead to Helsinki asking for the resignation of the Spanish ambassador to the country, Manuel de la Cámara, according to MP Mikko Kärnä. The Centre Party MP made the comment in a statement released this Thursday, in which he said he is "in shock" over Spain's request to fire Ginjaume for his "inappropriate" attitude.
"Mr Ginjaume has given Finland exemplary service over 19 years," he writes. According to the statement, last autumn, Kärnä received an email from ambassador De la Cámara, who threatened Finland over "EU security matters" after the MP defended the Catalan people's right to decide.
"I urgently lobby our Foreign minister to consider whether the Spanish ambassador has lost his credibility and that, as such, we should consider him persona non grata and put an end to his role within the Spanish mission," he concludes.
In the statement, Kärnä admits that, in according with the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, "there is little to be done" towards Ginjaume's dismissal order. He said that the reason behind the Spanish request evokes "the Franco regime": "You have a dinner with the 'wrong person' and you're fired", he said, referring to the honorary consul having invited Mercè Conesa, president of the Deputation of Barcelona and the mayor of Sant Cugat, to a dinner with accredited consuls in Barcelona.