The Social Democratic Party has had its first wobble under the leadership of Prime Minister Sanna Marin (SDP), according to a new poll by YLE. (Vesa Moilanen – Lehtikuva)

POPULAR SUPPORT for the Social Democratic Party has fallen after rising for six months, shows the most recent opinion poll commissioned by YLE.

The Finnish public broadcasting company reported yesterday that support for the ruling party dipped by 1.3 percentage points to 21.9 per cent between May and June, signalling the first negative change in the tenure of Prime Minister Sanna Marin (SDP).

Katri Kulmuni, the chairperson of the Centre, presented the party’s new visual look to members of the media in Helsinki on 13 June 2020. (Roni Rekomaa – Lehtikuva)

KATRI KULMUNI, the chairperson of the Centre, has declared that the ruling party is opposed to the provincial division laid down in the social and health care reform proposal of Krista Kiuru (SDP), the Minister of Social Affairs and Health.

Kulmuni confirmed the party’s firm position on the issue on Facebook on Wednesday, echoing the statements of Jari Leppä (Centre), the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry.

Minister of the Interior Maria Ohisalo (Greens) arrived for a government meeting at the House of the Estates in Helsinki on 15 June 2020. (Mikko Stig – Lehtikuva)

MINISTER of the Interior Maria Ohisalo (Greens) has hinted that the Green League could be ready to abandon the five-party ruling coalition if it fails to make progress on the climate objectives set forth in the government programme.

“If we stop or start taking steps back, we’ll have to think about our involvement in the government carefully,” she declared to Iltalehti on Sunday.

The Finns Party’s Juha Mäenpää spoke to reporters ahead of the last parliamentary session before the summer recess in Helsinki on Friday, 26 June 2020. (Vesa Moilanen – Lehtikuva)

THE FINNISH PARLIAMENT has denied Prosecutor General Raija Toiviainen a permit to bring criminal charges against Juha Mäenpää (PS), a first-term legislator from Vaasa, Western Finland.

Members of the Parliament on Friday voted 121 for and 54 against granting the request to remove the parliamentary immunity of Mäenpää, falling well short of the necessary five-sixth majority.

Is this really the most horrible thing that has ever been uttered in the Finnish Parliament, asks Jussi Halla-aho, the chairperson of the Finns Party. (Jussi Nukari – Lehtikuva)

MEMBERS of the Finnish Parliament will on Friday cast their ballots in a historic vote on whether or not to remove parliamentary immunity from Juha Mäenpää (PS), a first-term Member of the Parliament from Vaasa.

Prosecutor General Raija Toiviainen has requested a permit to charge the lawmaker with ethnic agitation for drawing comparison between asylum seekers and invasive alien species.

The Finns Party’s Juha Mäenpää had the floor in the Finnish Parliament on 17 June 2020. (Emmi Korhonen – Lehtikuva)

THE CONSTITUTIONAL LAW Committee of the Finnish Parliament has expressed its backing for indicting Juha Mäenpää (PS), a first-term lawmaker from Vaasa.

Members of the Constitutional Law Committee on Wednesday voted 12 for and 5 against indicting the 48-year-old lawmaker, representing a rare departure from the committee’s usual consensus-oriented approach.

The Constitutional Law Committee of the Finnish Government has voiced its concerns about the 750-billion-euro recovery fund proposed by the European Commission. (Mikko Stig – Lehtikuva)

MATTI MARTTUNEN, the secretary of the Parliament’s Constitutional Law Committee, has reminded that the government cannot disregard the “absolutely and clearly” expressed views of the committee on legislative matters related to the European Union.

His statement is related to the 750-billion-euro recovery fund proposed by the European Commission.

Katri Kulmuni’s (Centre) vision for her role after relinquishing the portfolio of the minister of finance has stirred up questions among legal experts. (Mikko Stig – Lehtikuva)

OUTGOING Minister of Finance Katri Kulmuni (Centre) may not be able to continue as a member of the so-called ruling quintet and chairperson of the ministerial group of the Centre, writes Helsingin Sanomat.

Her plan has been called into question by both legal experts and members of the Social Democrats.

Katri Kulmuni, the chairperson of the Centre Party, will hand over the portfolio of the minister of finance to Matti Vanhanen, the Speaker of the Parliament. (Mikko Stig – Lehtikuva)

FORMER PRIME MINISTER and Speaker of the Parliament Matti Vanhanen (Centre) has been nominated the successor of Minister of Finance Katri Kulmuni.

The 64-year-old experienced lawmaker received the nomination after a unanimous decision by the party government, parliamentary group and European parliamentary group of the Centre Party on Monday.

Prime Minister Sanna Marin’s (SDP) Social Democratic Party is thus far the only party to benefit from public satisfaction with the Finnish government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, shows a poll by YLE. (Roni Rekomaa – Lehtikuva)

THE POPULARITY of the Social Democrats has continued to increase in coronavirus-era Finland, tells the latest opinion poll commissioned by YLE.

The public broadcasting company reported last week that popular support for the ruling party risen by more than a percentage point to 23.2 per cent, a level that extends its lead over other political parties to over five points.