The European Commission’s Ursula von der Leyen spoke during a plenary session in the European Parliament in Brussels on Wednesday, 27 May 2020. (Kenzo Tribouillard – AFP / Lehtikuva)

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION on Wednesday published its highly anticipated proposal for a stimulus package designed to help member states to get back on their feet after the blow delivered by the coronavirus pandemic.

Two-thirds of the massive, 750-billion-euro recovery fund would be disbursed in direct financial support and one-third in loans.

The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has had to assure that its officials see eye to eye with the government on how to best combat the coronavirus epidemic. (Emmi Korhonen – Lehtikuva)

QUESTIONS about the Finnish government’s coronavirus strategy have arisen following a statement by Pasi Pohjola, the director in charge of coronavirus response at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.

Pohjola on Friday stated to Helsingin Sanomat that smothering the epidemic is not an option as it would remove the grounds for invoking the emergency powers act and, thereby, inhibit the government’s ability to manage the epidemic.

A person walking past a closed restaurant in the Kaari shopping centre in Helsinki on 25 March 2020. (Emmi Korhonen – Lehtikuva)

THE CENTRE PARTY on Thursday surprised many by removing the newly announced support package for the restaurant industry from the government's ordinary session on Thursday.

Minister of Economic Affairs Mika Lintilä (Centre) explained yesterday evening that he hopes legislators will re-examine both the reference period used to determine the amount of funding granted to restaurants and the coordination of the funding with other business subsidies.

An empty government loge in the session hall of the Finnish Parliament on Thursday, 7 May 2020. (Heikki Saukkomaa – Lehtikuva)

THE ENTIRE Finnish government will work remotely at least until the end of this week after two of its members came in contact with a person who is suspected of having been infected with the new coronavirus.

Prime Minister Sanna Marin (SDP) made the decision yesterday after it was determined that also the rest of her cabinet may have been indirectly exposed to the virus.

Petteri Orpo’s National Coalition has overtaken the Finns Party as the second most popular party in Finland after the Social Democrats, shows an opinion poll by YLE. (Emmi Korhonen – Lehtikuva)

THE SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY has established itself as by far the most popular political party in recent weeks in Finland, indicates an opinion poll commissioned by YLE.

Popular support for the ruling party surged by 2.5 percentage points from the previous poll to 22.1 per cent, a rating that is enough for an almost four-point advantage over the second most popular party in the Finnish Parliament.

Prime Minister Sanna Marin’s Social Democrats would receive almost a quarter of the vote if the parliamentary elections were held today, finds a poll commissioned by Alma Media and Iltalehti. (Jussi Nukari – Lehtikuva)

AN OPINION POLL by Alma Media and Iltalehti shows that the Social Democratic Party has consolidated its status as the most popular political party in coronavirus-era Finland.

Support for the Social Democrats, the poll found, surged by three percentage points to 24.1 per cent between March and April. The Finns Party, by contrast, saw its approval rating drop from 20.1 to 18.8 per cent, after dominating virtually all opinion polls before the pandemic.

General Jarmo Lindberg completed his five year-tenure as the Commander of the Finnish Defence Forces in August 2019. (Roni Rekomaa – Lehtikuva)

FORMER COMMANDER of the Finnish Defence Forces Jarmo Lindberg is lobbying for Lockheed Martin on the fighter jet acquisition of Finland, reports Helsingin Sanomat.

Lauri Puranen, the programme manager in charge of the acquisition at the Ministry of Defence, told STT on Thursday that the American supplier candidate informed the ministry about the role of Lindberg on Wednesday.

A police officer inspected the documents of a motorist on the border between South-west Finland and Uusimaa in Raasepori on 3 April 2020. (Markku Ulander – Lehtikuva)

THE GOVERNMENT of Prime Minister Sanna Marin (SDP) is set to decide this week whether it will extend the lockdown of Uusimaa, the most populous region in Finland, beyond Sunday, 19 April.

Pauli Rautiainen, an associate professor of public law at the University of Tampere, on Monday said the government should have to presented a decree for extending its emergency powers for parliamentary consideration two weeks prior to the end of the fixed authorisation period.

Petteri Orpo of the National Coalition (left) and Jussi Halla-aho of the Finns Party were photographed at an event of political journalists in Helsinki on 11 March 2020. Both opposition parties have seen their popularity drop during the coronavirus pandemic. (Markku Ulander – Lehtikuva).

THE SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY has all but erased the poll lead of the Finns Party, shows the latest opinion poll commissioned by YLE.

The public broadcasting company revealed last week that support for the ruling party has surged by 3.0 percentage points to 19.6 per cent, while that for the right-wing opposition party has fallen by 2.4 points to 20.0 per cent since February.

Prime Minister Sanna Marin (SDP) led her fellow cabinet members to a press conference about the coronavirus outbreak in Finland in Helsinki on Monday, 30 March 2020. (Emmi Korhonen – Lehtikuva)

POPULAR SUPPORT for the Social Democratic Party has jumped by 4.4 percentage points to 21.1 per cent in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, finds the most recent opinion poll commissioned by Alma Media.

The Social Democrats and Finns Party traded places at the top of the poll, with the latter seeing its popularity dip by 1.6 percentage points to 20.1 per cent since early February.