Mitro Repo

He was member of the European Parliament from 2009 until 2014, elected as an independent candidate on the Social Democratic Party's ticket.

In addition to his church services, he has visited workers in their factories and financial and business leaders.

Repo was asked by several parties to run as a candidate in European Parliament elections, and he finally chose the Social Democrats.

In the end, the Finnish Orthodox Church banned him from serving in religious services and wearing his trademark priestly outfit.

[3][4] His candidacy and election to the EU Parliament in 2009 aroused some interest in the international press, e.g., in Le Monde[5] and in The New York Times.