The youth wing of the Finnish Green Party has proposed the legalisation of polygamy.

The Federation of Green Youth and Students (ViNO) has said it believes that Finnish marriage laws “discriminate” against those who want multiple spouses. Party secretary for the Greens, Panu Laturi commented to Finnish newspaper Iltalehti that the main party does not support its youth wing’s views on this issue.

ViNO’s chair Inka Venetvaara said that a discussion would be needed on this topic and that the law should not forbid people from living alternative lifestyles.

Venetvaara admits that polygamy is very far from the Finns’ current idea of what constitutes a marriage, but notes that perceptions are always subject to change.

In response, the youth organisation of the centre-right True Finns party, which scored major successes in elections earlier this year, said that marriage is an institution between one man and one woman only.

In a statement, True Finns Youth said it believed that Finland’s current legislation on marriage reflected the values of the Finnish people and that there is no need to change it.

Allowing polygamy would also create a score of practical problems which the Federation of Green Youth and Students fails to take into consideration, they added.

During the March elections, the Finnish Greens launched a “marriage moratorium” campaign in support of gender neutral marriage legislation.

The party challenged Finns to support gender-neutral marriage laws by refraining from going to the altar or registering their relationships until same-sex couples get the right to do the same.

Couples who have already married or otherwise formalized their relationships are also being encouraged to sign the petition to support the campaign and same sex couples.

Currently same sex couples can register their relationships, but this does not automatically grant them many of the rights of other couples, such as the right to use the same surname or to adopt children.

The Greens had a disappointing election, losing five seats, going from 15 seats to 10 seats.