The Estonian president has apologised after the Finnish prime minister was branded a “sales girl” by a senior minister.
Finnish PM Sanna Marin - the world’s youngest governmental leader at the age of 34 - was mocked by Estonian interior minister Mart Helme, 70.
Mr Helme, part of the populist far right Ekre party, was speaking on a party radio show over the weekend when he made the comments.
Ms Marin’s government is made up of a coalition of five parties - and four of the leaders are women under 35.
A total of 12 out of 18 cabinet members are women too.
Speaking on Sunday Mr Helme said: “Now we see how one sales girl has become a prime minister and how some other street activists and non-educated people have also joined the cabinet."
His comments prompted the opposition to call for his resignation, while Estonian president Kersti Kaljulaid asked Finland's president Sauli Niinisto to pass on her apologies to Ms Marin and her government.
Social Democrat Ms Marin, who has spoken about growing up in a disadvantaged family, worked as a cashier before studying at university and embarking on a political career.
"I'm extremely proud of Finland. Here a poor family's child can educate themselves and achieve their goals in life. A cashier can become even a prime minister," she wrote on Twitter.
Mr Helme, a former Estonian ambassador to Russia, is known for outspoken statements that regularly embarrass prime minister Juri Ratas and his Centre Party, Ekre's coalition partner.
Ekre was accepted for the first time into a government coalition in April, after Mr Ratas lost parliamentary elections but clinched a to stay in power.
Estonian opposition leader Kaja Kallas said on Monday the opposition would organise a no-confidence vote in parliament if Mr Helme does not resign after his comments about Finland's new leaders. Previous such attempts have failed.
"The interior minister has offended the Finnish government and personally attacked the newly-appointed Finnish prime minister," she said in a statement.
