The conservative Orpo is Finland’s new prime minister, replacing the social democrat Marin. With its four-party coalition, the country is clearly moving to the right. Orpo named the topics of economy, NATO and the EU as focal points.
Finland has a new government: After around three and a half years under the Social Democratic Prime Minister Sanna Marin, President Sauli Niinistö has appointed the conservative Petteri Orpo as the new head of government in the Nordic country. With that, he dismissed Marin and her cabinet from office.
Previously, as expected, a majority in the Finnish Riksdag in Helsinki voted for the former finance minister as prime minister. Now the four-party coalition that has been in the works for weeks is starting to work.
Focus on economy, NATO and EU
The new Prime Minister puts the Finnish economy as his top priority – both in terms of growth and stabilizing public spending. Order is needed there, Orpo said after the parliamentary vote. In addition, Finland must now be established as a new member of NATO.
He also wants to focus on work within the EU: “We need a stronger European Union,” said the 53-year-old. Finland should become an active member of the EU, making suggestions on how to make the Union stronger.
From Germany, Chancellor Olaf Scholz congratulated Orpo on taking office. “I look forward to further promoting and deepening the very good relations between Germany and Finland, also together in the European Union and in the North Atlantic Alliance.”
Former Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin pays a farewell visit to Finnish President Niinistö at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki.
Marin also wants to give up party leadership
Marin has been Prime Minister of Finland since late 2019. Orpo’s National Coalition Party became the strongest force in the Finnish parliamentary elections in early April – ahead of Marin’s Social Democrats. The popular head of government then admitted her defeat and later announced that she would also step down as party leader of the Social Democrats in late summer.
After winning the parliamentary elections, Orpo has been negotiating intensively with the Finns, the Swedish People’s Party and the Christian Democrats since the beginning of May about the formation of a centre-right alliance. At the end of last week, the parties finally agreed on a 259-page government program. The new government moves Finland significantly further to the right than under Marin’s previous center-left government.
“paradigm shift” announced upon migration
In the new 19-strong cabinet, Orpo’s conservative party will primarily take on the leadership role in foreign and defense policy as well as in climate and environmental policy.
With the posts of Minister of the Interior and Minister of Justice, the right will have authority over immigration policy. The two new ministers, Mari Rantanen and Leena Meri, are known in the country for their harsh rhetoric against immigrants.
The leader of the Finns’ party, Riikka Purra, has already announced a “paradigm shift” in migration. Purra has also been appointed Deputy Prime Minister and heads the weighty Treasury Department.