Petteri Orpo’s National Coalition would emerge victorious if the parliamentary elections were held today, suggests a new poll by YLE. (Silja-Riikka Seppälä – Lehtikuva)

THE NATIONAL COALITION edged out the Social Democrats by 0.2 percentage points to clinch pole position in the first post-municipal election poll commissioned by YLE.

The Finnish public broadcasting company reported yesterday that almost one-fifth (19.8%) of the poll respondents would vote for the right-wing opposition party and 19.6 per cent for the ruling party if the parliamentary elections were held today.

Minister of Transport and Communications Timo Harakka has sent a letter to European Commission Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans concerning emissions trading in maritime transport. Minister Harakka stresses that the special circumstances related to winter navigation should be taken into account in the Commission’s proposal for emissions trading, and the proposal should also include an assessment of its impacts on the relative competitiveness of Member States.

Minister of the Interior Maria Ohisalo (Greens) on Wednesday stepped before the media to announce her desire to continue at the helm of the Green League. (Emmi Korhonen – Lehtikuva)

MINISTER of the Interior Maria Ohisalo (Greens) has accused the Centre and Social Democrats of acting against the government programme in lobbying in connection with the drafting of a new forest strategy for the European Union, reports Helsingin Sanomat.

“We think the Centre and Social Democrats have at the EU level together lobbied for goals that aren’t in line with the government programme,” she said in a news conference on Wednesday.

Minister of Family Affairs and Social Services Krista Kiuru leaving the Parliament House in Helsinki after a question-hour debate on Thursday, 1 July 2021. (Roni Rekomaa – Lehtikuva)

THE RULING COALITION in Finland have yet to find an understanding on the definition of a low-risk country, reports YLE.

The Finnish Parliament on Friday approved a new system that removes entry restrictions for, for example, people who have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, recovered from the coronavirus disease in the past six months, or arrive from a country where the risk of transmission is low.

Speaker of the Parliament Anu Vehviläinen (Centre) spoke to reporters after an extraordinary meeting of the Parliament’s Chancellery Commission in Helsinki on Tuesday, 29 June 2021. (Emmi Korhonen – Lehtikuva)

THE PARLIAMENT’S Chancellery Commission on Tuesday proposed unanimously that Tytti Yli-Viikari, the director of the National Audit Office of Finland (VTV), be relieved of her duties.

Members of the Parliament will weigh up the proposal in a plenary session on Wednesday. If no counter-proposals are forwarded, the proposal will be approved without a vote. If a vote is required, it will take place on Friday, according to Helsingin Sanomat.

Jussi Halla-aho on Monday announced he is not seeking a second term at the helm of the Finns Party. The right-wing opposition party will convene to elect his successor in Seinäjoki in August. (Silja-Riikka Seppälä – Lehtikuva)

JUSSI HALLA-AHO on Monday startled the Finnish political landscape by announcing he will not seek re-election as chairperson of the Finns Party.

“Not everyone will like this decision, at least immediately. I’d tell them that I’m not making this decision, or any other, on flimsy grounds on the spur of the moment, but after long and exhaustive consideration. This is the most right decision I can make,” he stated in a press conference.

Markus Lohi (Centre), the chairperson of the Parliament’s Social Affairs and Health Committee, in the cafeteria of the Parliament House in Helsinki on Tuesday, 15 June 2021. (Jussi Nukari – Lehtikuva)

THE PARLIAMENT’S Social Affairs and Health Committee on Tuesday put the finishing touches on its statement on the social and health care reform, representing a critical step forward for the long-awaited reform that is to respond to challenges such as urbanisation, population ageing and service accessibility.

The committee expressed its support for founding 21 welfare and five co-operative districts for organising the services, and not setting any absolute or relative requirements for their own service production.

A voter entering a polling station in Helsinki on Sunday, 13 June 2021. (Vesa Moilanen – Lehtikuva)

VOTER TURNOUT in Finland’s municipal elections fell by almost four percentage points from the previous elections to the historically low level of 55.1 per cent, according to the Ministry of Justice.

“The result is miserable for democracy,” Sami Borg, a lecturer at Tampere University, commented to YLE on Monday.

Juhana Vartiainen (NCP) is set to take over the reins of Helsinki in August, following the triumph of the National Coalition in the Finnish capital. (Mikko Stig – Lehtikuva)

THE NATIONAL COALITION has strengthened its standing as the largest political party in the capital of Finland, Helsinki.

The right-wing party received 25.7 per cent of the over 334,100 votes cast in the city in yesterday's municipal elections to secure 23 of the 85 seats on Helsinki City Council. Although the vote haul is 2.7 percentage points and the number of seats two lower than in the previous municipal elections, the party held on to its status as the largest party in the capital city courtesy of a 4.3-point drop in support for the Green League (19.8%).

Petteri Orpo, the chairperson of the National Coalition, raised his arms in celebration at his party’s election night party in Helsinki on Sunday, 13 June 2021. (Mikko Stig – Lehtikuva)

THE NATIONAL COALITION has emerged as the undisputed winner of the municipal elections in Finland.

The right-wing opposition party walked away with 21.4 per cent of the vote with 100 per cent of the votes count, representing an improvement of 0.7 percentage points from the municipal elections in 2017, according to data published by YLE.