Kirsi Piha on Saturday surprised many by picking up her hat from the mayoral ring in Helsinki. (Emmi Korhonen – Lehtikuva)

THE STRATEGY of the National Coalition for the municipal elections has been thrown into disarray in Helsinki.

Kirsi Piha (NCP) on Saturday announced she is withdrawing from her nomination as the mayoral candidate of the right-wing party, citing her uncertainty about her ability to represent the multitude of values held by members of the National Coalition.

Minister of Justice Anna-Maja Henriksson (SFP) was photographed leaving the House of the Estates in Helsinki on 25 February 2021. (Antti Aimo-Koivisto – Lehtikuva)

THE FINNISH GOVERNMENT is preparing provisions that would enable it to institute restrictions on movement in certain areas or certain times of day in the event that the coronavirus epidemic continues to exacerbate, Minister of Justice Anna-Maja Henriksson (SFP) confirmed to YLE on Saturday.

The epidemiological situation, she said, has become so difficult that the government is preparing for the worst.

A line of people outside an office of the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) in Helsinki on 24 March 2017. (Vesa Moilanen – Lehtikuva)

JORMA VUORIO, a former head of immigration affairs at the Ministry of the Interior and director general of the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri), has criticised the residence policy of the government of Prime Minister Sanna Marin (SDP), reports Iltalehti.

Vuorio on Wednesday questioned some of the recommendations set forth in a report published a day earlier by the Ministry of the Interior.

Jussi Halla-aho, the chairperson of the Finns Party, has reiterated his firm disapproval of the recovery plan devised by the European Union. (Jussi Nukari – Lehtikuva)

THE FINNS PARTY on Wednesday tabled an interpellation about the 750-billion-euro recovery plan pursued by the European Union.

The populist right-wing opposition party has levelled criticism at the plan, for instance, because of the smaller-than-expected share of Finland. The European Commission has cut its estimate of the share disbursed to the country by about 500 million euros, to 2.7 billion euros, on grounds that the national economy has not been significantly affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

Chinese flags along a road leading to a facility believed to be a so-called “re-education camp” for detaining mostly Muslim ethnic minorities on the outskirts of Hotan in Xinjiang, China, on 31 May 2019. (Greg Baker – AFP/Lehtikuva)

THE DISTRICT ORGANISATION of the Green League in Vantaa, Southern Finland, has terminated co-operation with Jenni Chen-Ye, a councillor for the City of Vantaa.

The organisation stated yesterday in a press release that the reason for terminating the co-operation is the “careless statements” made by the councillor, in which for example she has called for a “neutral approach” to the “sensitive issues” in China.

LEHTIKUVA

The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare gave a recommendation to delay the administration of second dose of all Covid-19 vaccinations to 12 weeks after the first administration. BioNTech, the German manufacturer of the vaccine to be procured in Finland, has warned that the efficacy of the vaccine is not guaranteed if the second dose is delayed by more than three weeks. Member of parliament Mari Rantanen made a parliamentary question to the Finnish government, asking the scientific basis for the recommendation.

Jussi Halla-aho, the chairperson of the Finns Party, says the opposition party is prepared to submit an interpellation unless the government withdraws from the 750-billion-euro recovery plan of the EU. (Antti Aimo-Koivisto – Lehtikuva)

THE FINNISH PARLIAMENT on Thursday began its spring term with a fiery debate over the 750-billion-euro recovery instrument proposed by the European Union.

The Finns Party highlighted that Finland is expected to receive a smaller share of the stimulus funding than originally estimated – 2.7 billion instead of the 3.2 billion euros estimated last summer by the European Commission.

Prime Minister Sanna Marin’s Social Democratic Party is presently projected to emerge as the winner of the municipal elections set to take place in Finland in April. (Jussi Nukari – Lehtikuva)

THE SOCIAL DEMOCRATS would emerge as the largest party from the municipal elections, with a vote share of 20.3 per cent, if the elections were held today, suggests a poll commissioned by YLE.

“The SDP seems to be in pole position for the municipal election battle. The Finns Party and National Coalition, meanwhile, are very close to each other,” Tuomo Turja, the managing director of Taloustutkimus, stated to YLE on Thursday.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto (Greens) has expressed his concern and condemnation of the military coup that took place in Myanmar on Monday. (Emmi Korhonen – Lehtikuva)

MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS Pekka Haavisto (Greens) has denounced the coup d’etat that took place in Myanmar on Monday.

“Disrupting and suspending the democratic process is awful news for the development of Myanmar. It’s perfectly obvious that the country’s problems cannot be solved with a military coup,” he stated to Helsingin Sanomat on Monday.