Touko Aalto, the chairperson of the Green League, has been ordered by his doctor to take an indefinite sick leave due to exhaustion. (Credit: Martti Kainulainen – Lehtikuva)
Touko Aalto, the chairperson of the Green League, says he will take an indefinite sick leave due to exhaustion in accordance with the recommendation of his doctor.
“I announced today that I’ll take a sick leave on doctor’s orders. I’m exhausted and I’ve realised that I’m at the limit of my endurance. I believe it’s important to have an open debate about employees’ ability to cope at the workplace and the exhaustion of people in challenging positions,” he wrote on Facebook on Thursday.
“None of us can push ourselves indefinitely, no matter how hard we try. Nor should anyone, even a policy maker, jeopardise their health for work.”
Aalto on Thursday announced he will clarify his timetable for resuming his duties at the helm of the opposition party during the course of the autumn.
His announcement came after a few months difficult months for the Green League. Both Aalto and Aino Pennanen, the legislative secretary of the opposition party, drew criticism in early August – the former following the emergence of photos of him dancing bare-chested in a gay club in Stockholm and the latter following an onboard protest at Helsinki Airport.
The Green League has additionally struggled to halt its slide in opinion polls and saw its popularity drop to 12.6 per cent in August, according to YLE.
“My time to speak is not yet, however,” added Aalto. “That’s why I’ll now close social media and won’t be giving any interviews to the media at this time. I want to focus on resting so that I can lead my team to the elections with my batteries fully re-charged.”
