Finnish social security chief returns to work after severe illness

Lasse Lehtonen, director general of Finland’s Social Insurance Institution (Kela), resumed his duties Monday after a six-month medical leave due to a life-threatening condition, public broadcaster Yle reports.

Lehtonen, 56, was hospitalised in December 2025 after Belgian police removed him from a Helsinki-bound flight at Brussels Airport when his erratic behaviour raised concerns. Doctors later discovered he was suffering from dangerously elevated intracranial pressure, which had begun to impair his breathing. He was flown back to Finland by air ambulance for emergency treatment.

In a March interview with Maaseudun Tulevaisuus, Lehtonen stated that without the accidental discovery of his condition, he would have died within days from respiratory failure caused by the pressure.

His absence delayed an internal leadership review at Kela, as investigators were unable to interview him during his leave. The probe followed controversy over his remarks last year criticising remote work among Kela staff, which employees deemed offensive.

In May, Helsingin Sanomat reported that Lehtonen had commissioned a €58,000 property management study from consultancy BearingPoint without competitive bidding, violating Kela’s procurement rules.