Politics

Working in politics can be a dirty business, but one Finnish political operator decided to be Mr Nice Guy this week. Dimitri Qvintus, who works as an advisor to Social Democrat leader Antti Rinne wrote tweets about colleagues in parliament from across…

Finnish ministries made two proposals which hit the headlines this week for all the wrong reasons. First, there was the idea that police would have sudden unfettered access to medical records; then controversy about possible restrictions to citizens’ rights to…

Finland’s former Prime Minister Alex Stubb has been soundly beaten in a vote that would have taken him one step closer to becoming ‘President of Europe’. Hundreds of delegates from the European People’s Party EPP, congress in Helsinki, voted 492 to…

Delegates at the European People’s Party congress in Helsinki will decide today whether to choose German MEP Manfred Weber or ex-Finnish Prime Minister Alex Stubb (NCP) as their candidate to be ‘President of Europe’. The European People’s Party EPP is an umbrella…

The Prime Minister’s residence at Kesäranta has seen a revolving door of European leaders and officials today, arriving for meetings with Juha Sipilä (Centre). They’re all in Helsinki for the European People’s Party (EPP) congress, but also held bilateral talks with…

Veteran politician Paavo Väyrynen has revealed that his wife has been diagnosed with cancer, and says he’s now uncertain about his own political future. Väyrynen says his wife Vuokko had been ill for several weeks before the cancer was diagnosed on Saturday, and…

Finland’s Green Alliance political party has voted veteran politician Pekka Haavisto to be their new chairman. Haavisto, a former cabinet minister, two time presidential candidate and UN envoy, will serve the remaining term of office of Touko Aalto, who resigned in October…

Two-time presidential candidate, former minister and ex-UN official Pekka Haavisto says he’s running to become the leader of the Green Alliance political party. The Greens will choose a new leader on Saturday, to serve for an interim period, to replace Touko Aalto,…

The early front-runner to lead Finland’s Green Alliance political party says she won’t join the race to be the new chairperson. Only Helsinki MP Outi Alanko-Kahiluoto has so far said she wants the job. Helsinki City Councilor Maria Ohisalo had been the temporary leader…

For a number of Finnish politicians and political parties, it’s been a bruising autumn so far, and they’ll be hoping November allows them to the page on past problems. The Greens saw sliding poll numbers, bad press, and the resignation…