Finland passes Sámi Parliament Act reform after years of delays

Finland's Parliament has approved a controversial reform to the Sámi Parliament Act, redefining who is eligible to vote in Sámi elections and formally recognising the Sámi people's right to determine their own political representation. The measure passed by a vote of 150 to 27 during a plenary session in Helsinki.

The reform removes the so-called "Lapp clause" from Finnish law, ending the practice of including individuals on the Sámi electoral roll based solely on historical records identifying ancestors as mountain, forest, or fishing Lapps.