A  new government  is to be sworn in on Tuesday, and the papers are full of analysis and speculation about how it will work.
 Helsingin Sanomat  publishes  an analysis piece suggesting that the Centre Party wants to drag the government back to the centre ground after what centre MPs felt was a leftist turn under outgoing PM  Antti Rinne .
 The former trade union boss had made several interventions in the labour market in support of pay demands for low-paid workers and his actions in the postal workers’ dispute eventually sparked his removal from office.
 Centre politicians have often expressed this objection as a difficulty with politicians poking their noses in to issues that should be settled between unions and employers. That’s not quite the whole story, according to the HS piece.
 Labour strife
 "Interfering in the labour market was not a problem for the Centre Party during the last government," writes political reporter  Teemu Muhonen . "Back then the Centre, as the party of the prime minister, forced through a weakening of employment conditions in the ‘competitiveness pact’ to improve the position of businesses."
 Centre leader  Katri Kulmuni  has set her stall out as demanding measures to increase employment (code for cutting unemployment benefits), and expects incoming premier  Sanna Marin  to yield to her demands.
 But as Marin’s own politics are probably to the left of Rinne’s, that could be a tricky negotiation. One thing that does unite the two traditional parties, writes Muhonen, is a desire to avoid fresh elections as they struggle in the polls.
 Kauppalehti  nails  its colours to the mast, stating that Marin’s election moves the government to the left and that this will be ‘Marin’s government but Rinne’s government programme’.
 That's also the basis on which the  five-party coalition has agreed to continue its work .
 International reach
 The business daily is satisfied, however, that the labour movement’s hotline to the Prime Minister’s office will be broken, and says that might mean a calmer labour market.
 The international press had plenty of coverage of  Marin’s elevation , with her youth and the gender of her four female counterparts leading government parties dominating those stories.
 The New York Times  covered  the story, as did  the BBC , the  Guardian ,  CNN  and even the  Daily Mail .
 The Mail found its special own angle, perhaps inevitably trawling the new PM’s Instagram account for their picture-heavy story.
 Marin’s impressive reach was confirmed by Soundi magazine, which got a  whole article  out of Rage Against the Machine singer  Tom Morello ’s Instagram post. Morello claimed Marin is a fan, and Soundi wondered whether this serendipitous coincidence might tempt Morello to bring the recently-reformed band to Finland for a concert.
 Syrian sojourn ending for some?
 In other stories, Ilta-Sanomat  reports  that plans to repatriate families from the al-Hol camp in Syria are at an advanced stage, with Helsinki social workers already informed about the identities of people expected to return.
 The issue has been the subject of some debate, with Foreign Minister  Pekka Haavisto  criticised by some officials in the ministry.
 On Monday he was  cleared by the ministry's senior civil servant  of acting illegally in trying to bring the families home, but it remains unclear how active Finland can or will be in helping people return from Syria.
 The IS story states that social workers are ready and prepared to respond whether people make it home under their own steam or are assisted in returning from the conflict zone.
 Free daycare in Paltamo
 Finland has stressed and worried about declining birth rates and a depopulated countryside, but the municipality of Paltamo in the sparsely-populated north-east has come up with a partial solution: free daycare.
 Finnish families pay for daycare for children aged 0-5, but the cost is heavily-subsidised and income-linked. In Paltamo, though, it will be a nice round zero--down from up to 434 euros a month for a family with two children earning more than 4,799 euros per month.
 The local council made the decision on Monday, and told local  paper Kainuun Sanomat  that making it free of charge was the ‘cherry on the cake’ of high-quality provision and decent facilities.


Social Democratic Party MP  Sirpa Paatero  told Yle that she was surprised to be offered the Minister of Local Government position in Finland's new coalition government on Sunday just before the Social Democratic party leadership convention.
 "It was great that soon-to-be Prime Minister  Sanna Marin  (Centre Party) indicated she had confidence in me," she says.
 Paatero went on sick leave about a week and a half ago after she handed in her resignation to then-Prime Minister Antti Rinne, who later also resigned following the postal scandal.
 Paatero's departure came after she provided contradictory information about what she knew and when in relation to national mail carrier Posti’s plans to cut the pay of 700 workers.
 At the time, Paatero said that the public and internal pressure made it impossible for her to continue in the post.
 According to Rinne, Paatero had not followed her own guidelines on how Posti’s corporate governance should be handled.
 And then Rinne resigned on December 3 after his Centre Party expressed a lack of confidence in him, partly spurred on by the Posti fallout.
 Timeline not yet clear
 On Monday morning Paatero told Yle that she was still recovering and couldn’t say exactly when she’d be back at work and needed to consult with her doctor.
 Paatero pointed out that although she filed a written resignation a week ago Monday, it was not processed as the entire government effectively resigned on Tuesday following former PM Rinne’s resignation.
 Paatero has been in municipal politics for 20 years and an MP for close to 14 years. During her entire political career she hasn’t experienced the kind of publicity storm that took place following the postal scandal.
 "I must admit that although I have a lot of experience, this is not the type of experience I wanted," she said. "I hope that this teaches me and others to have stricter boundaries."


Finland’s president  Sauli Niinistö  recently  suggested  shortening the current six-year term presidents serve when elected, but the country’s political parties don’t think it’s a worthwhile suggestion.
 A survey by the Uutissuomalainen outlet found little support for shorter terms in office among the chairs of the nine parliamentary parties.
 Only the small Movement Now group supported Niinistö’s suggestion. The SDP, National Coalition, Centre Party and Swedish People’s Party were all opposed.
 One reason was that the current six-year terms offer continuity in foreign policy, for which the president is responsible.
 "One big problem we have these days is short-termism, and shortening the president’s term in office could be a small step in the wrong direction on that front," said  Kai Mykkänen , who chairs the National Coalition group in parliament and even proposed lengthening parliamentary terms from the current four years to five.
 The Finns Party and Christian Democrats said they would look into the matter, the Greens did not express a preference, and the Left Alliance did not answer the question.
 "In my opinion, it is at least worth discussing," said Finns Party caucus leader  Ville Tavio . "I intend to find out what citizens think about the issue."
 Niinistö has repeatedly suggested shortening presidential terms, with different options including five-year terms with a two-term limit and four-year terms with a three-term limit.


Finland has a new government, headed by Social Democratic Party vice chair,  Sanna Marin . The administration is Finland’s 76th.
 At just 34 years old, Marin, the former Minister for Transport and Communications, is now  the world’s youngest premier . Her cabinet consists of 12 women and seven men. All leaders of the five-party government coalition are women.
 President  Sauli Niinistö  appointed the new administration shortly after 3pm on Tuesday, at the same time accepting the resignation of the previous government led by SDP chair  Antti Rinne .
 Rinne had been premier for just six months before  tendering his resignation  over his mishandling of a labour dispute between postal workers and their state-owned employer, national mail carrier Posti. Rinne and his government continued in a caretaker capacity until Marin's formal appointment on Tuesday.
 "A historic day"
 There was plenty of praise for the new government, with observers commending its youth and composition – including the opposition.
 "A historic day: the world gets the youngest sitting prime minister and Finland gets a government in which all of the party leaders are women. It is amazing that this is possible, specifically in Finland," chair of the opposition National Coalition Party  Petteri Orpo  tweeted.
 Prior to Niinistö’s appointment of the new government, MPs voted on Tuesday afternoon to confirm Marin as the new head of government. Government MPs gave Marin a comfortable margin of 99 votes to 70 to seal the deal. Thirty MPs were not present for the vote.
 On Wednesday, MPs will elect a new Deputy Speaker to replace  Tuula Haatainen , who will take on the weighty portfolio of Labour Minister in Marin’s cabinet following a government shakeup. Ex-PM Antti Rinne will take over from Haatainen as Deputy Speaker.
 The new government won’t have much time to settle in, as it will face a confidence vote next Tuesday.


A dispute over the possible repatriation of Finnish women and children from the Al-Hol refugee camp in Syria back to Finland has led to a split within the Finnish foreign ministry, and engulfed foreign minister  Pekka Haavisto  in a political crisis.
 The saga centres on a dispute between Haavisto and  Pasi Tuominen , the Director General of Consular Services at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The issue turns on whether ot not Haavisto reassigned certain tasks and responsibilities regarding the Al-Hol camp to another ministry official, effectively sidelining Tuominen.
 When tabloid daily Ilta-Sanomat broke the story on 2 December, staff told the newspaper that there was an "atmosphere of fear" at the ministry.
 Yle has assembled a timeline of events to clarify the claims and counter-claims in the war of words.
 27 June, 2019
 The government of freshly-elected Prime Minister  Antti Rinne  announces that it will  not actively seek to repatriate Finnish citizens from the Al-Hol refugee camp in Syria .
 In response to a question by the opposition Finns Party and National Coalition Party during parliamentary question time, the prime minister said that his administration had "no plans to use consular services to bring these people to Finland".
 Foreign minister Haavisto, however, emphasised that Finnish citizens would be provided with assistance should they seek it themselves.
 "If such people turn to the Consulate of Finland somewhere, as Finns they will, of course, be allowed to return," Haavisto said.
 At around the same time, Pasi Tuominen’s contract in his role as Director General of Consular Services at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs is extended until 2022.
 Story continues after photo.
 Director General of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs Pasi Tuominen. Aku Häyrynen / Lehtikuva
 September
 Haavisto meets with Rinne to discuss the situation at Al-Hol, and according to Haavisto they agree on a way forward.
 "We discussed that it would be good to send a delegation to the region to get better information on the situation, as other Nordic countries had also established contact with the Kurdish administration," Haavisto recalls of the meeting in a later interview with Helsingin Sanomat.
 Haavisto then reportedly meets with officials from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, who tell the minister that Finland is not prepared to start similar research work to help citizens as has been carried out by other Nordic countries. According to another report by Ilta-Sanomat, Haavisto flies into a "rage" over this response. Haavisto denies this.
 "As the minister I was in a very difficult position, because the Ministry and the Minister for Foreign Affairs are responsible for the safety of Finnish citizens in danger, but my ministry had no solution," Haavisto later explained to Helsingin Sanomat.
 Story continues after photo.
 A woman carrying a child at the Al-Hol refugee camp on December 9, 2019. Delil Souleiman / AFP
 Haavisto is apparently now convinced that Tuominen "would allow the children to die in the camp," an accusation which Tuominen subsequently denies to Helsingin Sanomat.
 10 October
 Chancellor of Justice  Tuomas Pöysti  receives a complaint that the government, the prime minister, the minister of the interior and the minister of foreign affairs are failing to take steps to help Finnish citizens in danger. The complaint is based on the international obligations and laws to which Finland is bound, specifically relating to the rights of children.
 Story continues after photo.
 Tuomas Pöysti. Tiina Jutila / Yle
 Although Pöysti believes that it would be legally easier to bring both children and their guardians to Finland and then place them in care, he does consider it possible that children could be repatriated without the consent of the guardian.
 He further emphasises that the authorities' options to operate within the Al-Hol refugee camp are limited and that they have to adapt in practice to the conditions of the camp administrators. By this, Pöysti implies that the Kurdish government in the area does not want the children of the camp to be separated from their mothers.
 Pöysti’s interpretation of the Al-Hol situation does not necessarily oblige the authorities to act in a certain way and leaves them a certain amount of discretion.
 18 October
 Internal pressure begins to build within the ministry of foreign affairs, as Haavisto interprets Pöysti’s announcement as obliging the ministry to act in the best interests of the children. He gives instructions to Tuominen, which the director general finds illegal and coercive.
 Tuominen writes to Foreign Ministry Under-Secretary of State  Pekka Puustinen  that he is afraid of being sentenced to prison if he begins the process of repatriating children to Finland without any political decision. This  email  will be later published by Ilta-Sanomat on December 4.
 Story continues after photo.
 Pekka Puustinen. Yle
 According to another email seen by Ilta-Sanomat and sent on the same day as Tuominen writes to Puustinen, Haavisto's Special Assistant  Joel Linnainmäki  delivers the foreign minister's instruction that consular services should place an official in the city of Erbil, Iraq on a one-month mission.
 "This person is preparing for a situation where Finnish citizens will be crossing the border from Syria," Linnainmäki writes, adding that "the point is that at least the children from the Al-Hol camp will be made safe within a reasonable time if security risks in the area increase."
 Pasi Tuominen refuses to obey this instruction because he and the consular department believe the government should make a decision on such a big issue.
 23 October
 Haavisto reassigns Pasi Tuominen away from Al-Hol consular duties, and appointed an interim Al-Hol Special Representative.
 His role is to liaise and negotiate with the Kurdish authorities on the possible repatriation of Finnish citizens, and HS reports that the representative is given the authority to decide on the evacuation of both children and their guardians to Finland on a case-by-case basis.
 In practice, evacuations should not take place unless the Prime Minister, the President and the Foreign Affairs Committee were all informed.
 The appointment is a confidential matter due to security reasons, and is known by only a very small circle.
 Tuominen considers the decision to reassign his responsibilities for the Al-Hol camp to be in breach of the law, but Haavisto and the department’s senior management argue they have extensive powers to change the internal division of labour, if deemed necessary.
 31 October
 The government is informed of the Al-Hol Special Representative's appointment at an evening meeting. Both the representative and the Chancellor of Justice Tuomas Pöysti are present. According to Haavisto, no minister or party objects to the appointment or the assignment.
 Helsingin Sanomat reports that Pöysti's stance is that as long as the representative cooperates with other Finnish authorities, especially child welfare, the operation is legally sustainable.
 Haavisto and the representative agree they will inform President  Sauli Niinistö  of the ministry for foreign affairs's actions.
 The government has still not taken a formal position on the repatriation of Finnish citizens, but at some point in the autumn the foreign ministry will send two officials to Erbil.
 Mid-November
 Undersecretary Puustinen informs Pasi Tuominen that Haavisto wants to transfer him to a different position by the end of 2019. The decision was apparently made a couple of weeks earlier, but Tuominen was not immediately informed.
 In addition to the dispute over Al-Hol, Tuominen and Haavisto had also clashed over Russian visa requirements.
 On 19 November, Ilta-Sanomat reports that a successor is being sought for Tuominen.
 29 November
 At a meeting of ministry staff, Puustinen tells Tuominen's "shocked subordinates" of the plan to move Tuominen to a different role.
 "For the time being, consular chief Tuominen will act as Head of Consular Affairs, with the exception of one unit which has been transferred to another official. This issue is also very sensitive at the political level," Puustinen said at the meeting according to minutes leaked to Ilta-Sanomat.
 IS later reports, on 4 December, that Haavisto has already personally selected a successor for Tuominen.
 2 December
 Ilta-Sanomat publishes a  story  about the so-called 'Operation Korpi', which the tabloid alleges involves the foreign minister’s plan to repatriate children from the Al-Hol camp back to Finland.
 The article further alleges that Haavisto punished Tuominen because he refused to comply with the order to repatriate only children from the camp, as Tuominen deemed it illegal.
 Haavisto denies that he put any pressure on anyone and justifies the transfer of Tuominen as being a normal rotation of official duties. Haavisto says he is unfamiliar with any 'Operation Korpi'.
 Katja-Marika Puittinen , Owner of Immigration Processes at the ministry of foreign affairs, tells Yle in response to the Ilta-Sanomat story that there is an atmosphere of fear within the department.
 Later in the day, President Sauli Niinistö tells the Verkkouutiset online news service that he was unaware of any decision regarding Al-Hol, thereby giving the impression that certain information was not passed onto the president by the foreign minister.
 In the evening, Haavisto holds a press conference where he says the ministry must prepare for different outcomes, such as, for example, if the al-Hol camp is disbanded chaotically. Haavisto says that cooperation between the authorities in this matter is called Operation Korpi.
 Haavisto adds that every potential repatriation is considered on a case-by-case basis, and that President Niinistö is aware of the plans. He denies ever having ordered children to be repatriated without their parents.
 Haavisto states that Pasi Tuominen is still in charge of the consular post and that the position has not been opened for a successor. The only change of personnel in the ministry, according to Haavisto, is the appointment of a separate person to handle al-Hol issues.
 This statement by Haavisto causes many ministry officials to lose confidence in the minister because they say the he is lying about Tuominen continuing in his job.
 "After the press conference, there was a sense of solidarity with Tuominen in the corridors of the ministry," one official commented to Yle.
 3 December
 Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee speaks with Haavisto and Pöysti. The committee is content with Haavisto's version of events, except for the Finns Party, who claim Haavisto has kept parliament in the dark on this issue.
 Haavisto explains that the information has to be kept confidential so as not to jeopardise the assigned official, the Finnish citizens at the camp or the success of the whole operation.
 "The members of the Ministerial Council have been aware but have not had to make decisions, since all the actions have been preparatory actions that have clarified the situation of the Finnish citizens at the camp and the attitude of various authorities in the area to help these people," Haavisto said.
 Chancellor of Justice Tuomas Pöysti was prohibited from commenting on Haavisto's actions because he has been the subject of a number of complaints, including one criminal complaint.
 President Niinistö tells Helsingin Sanomat that he had been aware of the official appointed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and "other official duties". Niinistö added that he has discussed the situation in Al-Hol with Haavisto on several occasions.
 4 December
 Ilta-Sanomat publishes leaked documents from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs: internal emails and an excerpt of the meeting minutes from 29 November.
 Kirsi Varhila , Under-Secretary at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, tells Yle that a search operation of the Al-Hol camp had been prepared, but that it was to include adults as well as children.
 Story continues after photo.
 Kirsi Varhila. Toni Määttä / Yle
 Haavisto appears on Yle TV1’s A-studio programme and says he had spoken with Pasi Tuominen earlier that day; and apologised to the official. Haavisto blames the problems on the flow of information within the ministry, and he says he has heard from Tuominen that there is no contradiction in the consular department about the appointed al-Hol official.
 Haavisto announces that Tuominen is welcome to continue as Consular Chief if he wishes. However, he refuses to be drawn on whether he had ousted Tuominen.
 Haavisto said the ministry was discussing the possibility of helping children in the summer, but the idea soon came to an end because of the views of the Syrian authorities.
 5 December
 In an open letter, the trade union representing ministry staff demands an explanation from Haavisto about his "undermining" of the position of consular chief.
 "This is an urgent cry for help from the staff," says chair  Juha Parikka , who adds that foreign ministry staff do not understand how Haavisto can change procedural rules and transfer the duties of Tuominen to another official.
 Haavisto responds to the open letter later the same day. He apologises for the internal problems and the lack of open communication about staff issues. Haavisto also references the busy autumn schedule and the challenges posed by the discovery of Finnish children in Syria as contributary factors.
 The Finns Party threaten the government with a parliamentary interpellation if Haavisto continues as foreign minister.
 "There are three questions that are still open: whether Isis families are being brought to Finland, whether Haavisto has lied about the issue, and whether he has been pressuring an official to perform unlawful actions to bring Isis families to Finland," says Finns Party chair  Jussi Halla-aho .
 Story continues after photo.
 Finns Party chair Jussi Halla-aho. Lehtikuva
 6 December
 Pasi Tuominen goes public. In an interview with Helsingin Sanomat, he accuses Haavisto of fear-driven leadership and making illegal decisions.
 "It is totally unacceptable that officials can only tell the minister things that Haavisto feels are promoting his own political views," Tuominen says.
 Haavisto denies Tuominen's claims and explains the problems of his ministry have been exacerbated by Finland’s EU Presidency.
 "I've made the mistake that I have had too little time with the staff," Haavisto says.
 He reiterates that decisions on possible assistance to the Finnish citizens at Al-Hol were made with the utmost confidentiality for security reasons.
 "I am well aware that this may have led to the appearance of secrecy," Haavisto says.
 Haavisto denies he chose a successor for Tuominen, but admits that different names have been mentioned.
 "On 20 November, the Under-Secretary of State was informed that Tuominen would prefer to end his current duties as soon as possible," Haavisto says.
 8 December
 Staff representative  Juha Parikka  tells Verkkouutiset that distrust of Haavisto within the ministry remains, as he still seems to be telling a "modified truth". Parikka finds it particularly problematic that important policy decisions have been made unilaterally by Haavisto.
 Green Party chair  Maria Ohisalo , says that she "of course" has confidence in Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto. According to Ohisalo, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has long had unresolved problems, and not just under Haavisto’s tenure.
 Story continues after photo.
 Greens Party chair Maria Ohisalo. Lehtikuva
 9 December
 Yle reports that the government had a more detailed plan than previously known for relocating Al-Hol women and children to Finland. The plan is to prevent Finnish citizens from dying in the camp when, for example, the weather gets cold. According to Yle sources, the ouline documents are classified as confidential.
 Chancellor of Justice Tuomas Pöysti says he will launch an investigation into the activities of the Foreign Minister and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs related to the Al-Hol issue.
 Pekka Puustinen, Under-Secretary of State for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, sends an internal bulletin to staff at the ministry, in which he declares his support for Haavisto. According to Puustinen, the al-Hol debate is the result of a serious divergence of views within the ministry, and that not everyone shares the view of the ministry's "atmosphere of fear".
 Consulate Chief Pasi Tuominen does not comment on the latest developments, nor does he confirm if he intends to continue in his job.


Finland’s freshly-appointed Prime Minister  Sanna Marin  opened her time in office by declaring that she will maintain her social media habits as a representative of the younger generation. Speaking during her new administration’s first press conference  after being sworn into office on Tuesday afternoon , Marin told media representatives that she "is still a real person".
 "When it comes to social media or Instagram, I think I’m an individual -- a real person even though I’m a prime minister also. So I won’t change the way I behave," Marin said in response to a question about her use of social media before becoming premier. The question was a reference to  a Daily Mail article  that dubbed her "a politician for the Instagram generation".
 You can listen to our weekly All Points North podcast via this embedded player,  Yle Areena ,  Spotify ,  iTunes  or your normal pod player using the  RSS feed .
 However she tempered her declaration with an acknowledgement that in future, she will also represent the government she leads.
 "Of course I have to be careful about what I say because it can be represented as the whole government. But I’m still a person and I will be in the future also," she added.
 Andersson: "We're just human"
 Marin’s comments were backed up by her colleague, Left Alliance chair and Education Minister  Li Andersson , who said that it would be good for people to get to know politicians.
 "What kind of music we like, what we do during our very sparse free time, how we hang out together behind the scenes, while negotiating. Because I think that’s something that I’ve missed from public debate and politics for a long time. We’re just human all of us," Andersson declared.
 Sticking to business, Interior Minister and Greens chair  Maria Ohisalo  said that the government’s first steps next year will involve implementing the budget agreed on under the stewardship of ex-PM  Antti Rinne .
 "Next year the first steps about the budget that the previous government has already decided on steps into reality and people will see in their everyday lives how this government programme already affects their lives. So we are here for the whole of Finnish society," the minister commented.
 Off to Brussels this week
 Marin told journalists at the press conference that her administration will begin its work today to build a society that is socially, economically and environmentally sustainable.
 "We want to make Finland a country where any child can become anything and everyone can live and grow old safely and happily. We’re going to be active in the European Union and globally. We want to create stability," she added.
 The PM said that she will meet her EU colleagues at a European Council meeting in Brussels on 12-13 December.
 Marin took over from SDP chair Antti Rinne following a confidence crisis that saw Rinne tender his resignation. She was nominated by the SDP to succeed Rinne as prime minister, narrowly beating her parliamentary colleague  Antti Lindtman . Marin was  formally appointed premier  by President  Sauli Niinistö  on Tuesday afternoon.
 Edit: PM Marin will travel to Brussels on 12-13 Dec, not a week later as originally stated.


Helsinki daily  Helsingin Sanomat  reports that the dispute over the possible repatriation of Finnish women and children from the al-Hol refugee camp in Syria took a new turn on Tuesday evening when President  Sauli Niinistö  called for a "clear political decision on the matter".
 In a comment forwarded to the paper by the president's office, Niinistö pointed to what he called an increasing flurry of speculation surrounding the issue and stated, "It would be good for the new government to have a moment of calm and consider making a clear political decision."
 The possible repatriation of Finnish women and children being held in the al-Hol camp in Syria  has become a major issue and the first serious challenge  facing the new government headed by  Sanna Marin , says Helsingin Sanomat.
 The paper points out that this is a politically sensitive issue because bringing the children to safety would also mean repatriating their mothers. The mothers, writes HS, have close connections to Isis.
 Parties in the coalition government have been avoiding a political decision on repatriation, instead relegating it to information talks at working meetings of the cabinet.
 The opposition Finns party is planning to force a vote of no-confidence in the government over the issue. Helsingin Sanomat notes a STT news agency report that the National Coalition Party is considering joining in the push for a vote of no-confidence.
 Turku's  Turun Sanomat  reports that the Christian Democratic Party decided late Tuesday evening to back the move. In its announcement, the CDP said that repatriation plans have been advanced without a clear political decision and without informing parliament. It added that Prime Minister Sanna Marin "has not been able to answer questions about the foreign minister's actions and conflicting statements".
 New rules for politicians
 Oulu's Kaleva notes that  one of the first measures  of the new Marin government after taking office was to shield cabinet ministers from corporate headhunters.
 According to a decision taken on Tuesday, any minister leaving a government post will face a six-month ban on taking on any new job that could be seen as a conflict of interest.
 Legislation is in the works that will prevent sitting ministers from resigning to go straight to jobs related to their work in government. Until such time as that becomes law, Marin is relying on the personal pledges of cabinet members.
 A Council of Europe body, the Group of States against Corruption, has cautioned Finland against the practice of leading civil servants and cabinet ministers moving back and forth between public service and the private sector.
 Advice from oldest to youngest
 Sanna Marin's entry into the premiership at the age of 34, making her the  world's youngest head of government , has attracted worldwide attention.
 Finland's leading Swedish-language daily,  Hufvudstadsbladet  reports that Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who at the age of 94 is the world's oldest head of government, Tuesday commented on Sanna Marin's rise by passing along a piece of advice to his younger colleague.
 In an interview with Reuters,  Mahathir Mohamad  stated, “While we believe in the idealism of young people, it is important also for them to consider the experience of the old people”.
 “Then there will be a combination of the two, and that would be good,” he added.
 Striking at full pay
 Strikes and solidarity strikes in the industrial sector this week have seen  nearly 100,000 workers  lay down their tools and walk off the job, trading lost pay for the chance pressure employers for better contract conditions.
 There is once sector, however, where workers are on strike, but getting full pay anyway.
 According to the economic and business daily  Kauppalehti , some companies in the chemicals sector are paying striking employees to come to work even though they are not producing anything.
 The paper points out that it is not only difficult, but also potentially dangerous to completely shut down some chemical industry processes.
 Kauppalehti take as an example the Borealis Polymers plant in Porvoo where around 75 percent of some 900 officially striking workers have been coming in to supervise plant safety while production is suspended.
 Company management told the paper that it is seeing significant losses because of the strike. The labour action has not only stopped production for the three day strike period. This was preceded by two days it took to wind down processes, and it may take another five days to get back up to speed once the strike ends.
 Environmental visions 50 years ago
 Kuopio's  Savon Sanomat  on Wednesday turned the clock back just about half a century with a look at an editorial published by its sister paper, Iisalmen Sanomat, on 14 December 1969.
 The Council of Europe had just declared the new year, 1970, as European Conservation year. Even though Finland was not yet a member of the body, it joined in the effort to protect the natural environment.
 Savon Sanomat writes that at that time, this was the greatest international wake-up call to the need to protect the planet and its natural resources.
 What was envisaged was the creation of a strategy to protect the natural environment and a search to find the means to implement that strategy.
 50 years ago, Iisalmen Sanomat wrote that awareness of the dangers was important, but that merely an interest in environmental questions would not be enough. The paper stressed that what was really essential was a long-term plan that would take into account the needs of future generations.


The five-party government coalition led by the Social Democratic Party has been in office for just six months, but already there has been a shake-up of ministerial portfolios, following a loss of confidence in the leadership of SDP chair and ex-premier  Antti Rinne .
 The biggest changes have occurred among the ranks of the senior government partner, the SDP, with just a few ministers continuing in their original positions.
 You can listen to our weekly All Points North podcast via this embedded player, Yle Areena, Spotify, iTunes or your normal pod player using the RSS feed.
 Sanna Marin, Prime Minister, SDP
 At 34,  Sanna Marin  has become the youngest premier in the world following Antti Rinne’s resignation from the post following a political firestorm. In a vote by the party leadership last Sunday, Marin won a razor-thin victory over the other frontrunner, SDP parliamentary chair  Antti Lindtman . She is a popular politician favoured by voters and is now expected to help boost the party’s voter approval rating from its current low point.
 Marin was the former Transport and Communications Minister in the Rinne administration. She had already begun to grab headlines at the beginning of the year when she took over from the ailing party chair who went on sick leave in the prelude to the general election. Marin had already earned accolades over her steady stewardship of a contentious Tampere city council, with videos of the meetings taking social media by storm.
 Tytti Tuppurainen, Minister for European Affairs and Ownership Steering, SDP
 Social Democratic MP  Tytti Tuppurainen  will continue as Minister for European Affairs, but will also assume responsibility for the troublesome state ownership and steering portfolio. Like her fellow MP  Timo Harakka , Tuppurainen had also challenged Antti Rinne for the chairmanship of the party some years ago. Gender equality issues are close to her heart and she is the chair of the SDP women’s group.
 Sirpa Paatero, Minister of Local Government, SDP
 Media coverage of the recent government crisis painted former State Ownership Steering Minister  Sirpa Paatero  as a scapegoat in the affair. She resigned, presumably for not prosecuting the government’s desire to protect 700 postal workers who were transferred to lower-paying employment contracts by their employer, the state-owned mail carrier Posti. After stepping down, Paatero went on sick leave only to return this week as Municipal Affairs Minister in the reformulated administration. Paatero is widely considered to be a confidant of ex-prime minister Antti Rinne.
 Timo Harakka, Transport and Communications Minister, SDP
 Timo Harakka  previously held responsibility for the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment in the Rinne administration but in the new government he takes over from Sanna Marin as Transport and Communications Minister. Harakka should be comfortable with the new brief, given that before his career in politics he was an Yle journalist known as the host of the “Black Box” discussion programme from 1997 to 2000. He was also a presenter and producer of the light entertainment current affairs television show “Pressiklubi”. During the six months in his previous position, he entombed the much-reviled “activation model”, which required unemployed jobseekers to meet certain criteria to maintain their benefits. The SDP saw its favourability soar when it protested the model in opposition.
 Tuula Haatainen, Economic Affairs and Employment Minister, SDP
 Veteran SDP politico  Tuula Haatainen  takes over from Harakka as Economic Affairs and Employment Minister and now faces one of the government’s most testing challenges of boosting employment. She will leave behind the position of Deputy Speaker to take up her new portfolio and will in turn offer the important post to outgoing PM Rinne. Last year, Haatainen challenged  Sauli Niinistö ’s hold on the presidency when she contested the presidential election as an SDP candidate and placed third. She is one of the more experienced ministers in the cabinet, having previously served as Education as well as Social Affairs and Health Minister. She was also a deputy mayor of Helsinki and deputy chair of the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities before she returned to parliament as an MP in 2015.
 Krista Kiuru, Minister of Family Affairs and Social Services, SDP
 Family Affairs and Social Services Minister is one of just two ministers to retain her original portfolio following the recent government upheaval. An experienced minister  Krista Kiur u came under scrutiny during the final stages of the last government as a colourful figure in negotiations over then-Prime Minister  Juha Sipilä ’s ambitious bid to overhaul social and health care services. At the time she was chair of Parliament’s Social Affairs and Health Committee. The Pori resident is a four-term MP, who has previously served as a minister of housing and communications, education and education and communications.
 Ville Skinnari, Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade, SDP
 Lahti resident  Ville Skinnari  is another minister who will retain his old brief in the new administration. He is one of the SDP’s economic policy wonks and is often positioned on the right of the left-leaning party. Like Marin, he is one of the party vice chairs. The second-term MP is a former national ice hockey player and is the son of ex-parliamentarian  Jouko Skinnari .
 Katri Kulmuni, Finance Minister, Centre Party
 Centre Party chair  Katri Kulmuni  nabbed the Finance Ministry portfolio from predecessor  Mikä Lintilä  during the cabinet reshuffle. The swap offers Kulmuni an opportunity to dig the party out of a voter approval slump, particularly after she was criticized for what some saw as a spiritless performance when she declared that the Centre had no confidence in ex-PM Rinne. The Tornio resident proved to be a vote magnet during last spring’s parliamentary elections.
 Mika Lintilä, Minister for Economic Affairs, Centre Party
 After six months as Finance Minister, Mika Lintilä has deferred to his party leader Katri Kulmuni and taken up a new position as Economic Affairs Minister. The post is not new to this veteran politician, as he held the brief during the Juha Sipilä centre-right administration. He became Economic Affairs Minister when  Olli Rehn  moved over to the Bank of Finland in December 2016. Lintilä is also no stranger to parliamentary politics, having served as a lawmaker for two decades.
 Antti Kaikkonen, Minister of Defence, Centre Party
 Antti Kaikkonen  also continues in his previous role as Defence Minister. He is an influential figure in the Centre Party, having lost to Kulmuni during leadership elections. This is the five-term MP’s first stint as a minister. During the party’s time in the previous administration, he served as chair of the parliamentary group. His political career has been overshadowed by his role in a campaign funding scandal and a five-month suspended prison sentence handed down in 2013 as a result.
 Hanna Kosonen, Minister of Science and Culture, Centre Party
 Hanna Kosonen  replaces  Annika Saarikko  as Science and Culture Minister during the latter’s maternity leave. Kosonen was the deputy leader of the Centre’s parliamentary group during the last government’s term. The second-term MP is a former elite athlete, having previously won gold and bronze in ski orienteering world championships in the early 2000s.
 Jari Leppä, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Centre Party
 Jari Leppä  brings a great deal of experience and agricultural expertise to the position. He was also agriculture minister in the Sipilä government from 2017. He is a farmer by profession and a six-term parliamentarian.
 Maria Ohisalo, Minister of the Interior, Greens
 Greens chair  Maria Ohisalo  is only a first term lawmaker and will continue in her original post as Interior Minister, which she held under Rinne. The popular Helsinki vote-getter has worked as a poverty researcher before embarking on a career in politics. She took over her party's top spot in June of this year.
 Pekka Haavisto, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Greens
 Pekka Haavisto  is a founding member of the Greens and has the most extensive ministerial experience among his colleagues. He has contested presidential elections twice, placing second on both occasions. He is also a seasoned MP, beginning his first stint in Parliament in 1987. He has been minister twice. He led the Greens to record their best-ever election result in the spring general election and was one of the most popular candidates among voters. He passed the baton of the chairmanship to Ohisalo in June. The minister is currently embroiled in controversy over a plan to repatriate Finnish women and children at the al-Hol refugee camp in Syria.
 Krista Mikkonen, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, Greens
 Joensuu resident  Krista Mikkonen  represents the voice of the provinces to the Greens’ parliamentary group and to the government. The second-term lawmaker stood for parliamentary elections three times before she was elected as the only Green MP in the Savo-Karelia electoral district.
 Li Andersson, Minister of Education, Left Alliance
 Turku resident  Li Andersson  was one of the more popular parliamentary election candidates, having secured the second-highest number of votes nationwide during last spring’s general election, beating out the SDP’s Sanna Marin. Andersson has consistently been assessed as having greater appeal than other party leaders. In June Andersson was re-elected party chair unopposed. It is Andersson’s first time in government and she continues in the portfolio she held under Antti Rinne. In opposition she was profiled as a direct and articulate critic of right-of-centre policies.
 Aino-Kaisa Pekonen, Minister of Social Affairs and Health, Left Alliance
 Riihimäki resident  Aino-Kaisa Pekonen  was previously a practical nurse and will serve under Marin as the Minister of Social Affairs and Health. Pekonen was elected to parliament to represent the constituency of Hämeenlinna in 2011, and is currently serving as the chair of the Left Alliance parliamentary group.
 Anna-Maja Henriksson, Minister of Justice, Swedish People’s Party
 Jakobstad resident  Anna-Maja Henriksson  was the Minister of Justice in Rinne’s cabinet and will continue in this role under Marin. She also previously served as Minister for Justice in Jyrki Katainen's cabinet from 2011 to 2014, and in  Alexander Stubb 's cabinet from 2014 to 2015. Henriksson was first elected to parliament in 2007 and became the first ever female leader of her party in June 2016.
 Thomas Blomqvist, Minister for Nordic Cooperation and Equality, Swedish People’s Party
 Thomas Blomqvist  is a farmer from the town of Ekenäs in southern Finland and is an experienced Swedish People’s Party representative. He was first elected to the Finnish parliament in 2007 to represent the Uusimaa constituency and recently chaired the party’s parliamentary group.


Finland is opening up a wildly popular Elements of Artificial Intelligence online course to all EU citizens. The announcement was made in Brussels on Tuesday to mark the approaching end of Finland’s presidency of the Council of the EU.
 Finland assumed the rotating six-month presidency in July this year, shortly after the  Antti Rinne  administration assumed office. Rinne  has since stepped down  as Prime Minister and now heads a caretaker administration until a new cabinet is sworn in on Tuesday.
 The government said that the goal of the project is attract one percent of EU citizens – five million people – to complete the course in 2020 and 2021. The offer of the online programme marks a departure from more traditional gifts such as ties or scarves. Anyone can  sign up for the online course .
 The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment said on Tuesday that it will finance the project, which was valued at 1.7 million euros.
 Ministry permanent secretary  Pilvi Torsti  said that the AI course has become a tradition that Finland wants to continue. She said that it also answers in part the difficult question of how to develop people’s skills for the jobs of the future.
 The free online course was developed by the Reaktor consultancy and the University of Helsinki and has  been by far the most popular programme  offered by the University of Helsinki. The original goal was to get one percent of Finns or 55,000 people to study the elements of artificial intelligence, a  target that was reached  in just a few months.


Finland's new five-party coalition government, headed by SDP Prime Minister  Sanna Marin , hit its first serious bump on Wednesday when opposition parties in parliament filed a motion leading to a vote of no-confidence over  the repatriation of Finnish citizens currently in the al-Hol refugee camp in Syria .
 The motion, initiated by the Finns Party, gained the backing of the Christian Democrats late Tuesday and of the National Coalition Party (NCP) on Wednesday morning. It is also being supported by the sole MP of the Movement Now (Liike nyt) group.
 At a press conference Wednesday morning, opposition Finns Party chair  Jussi Halla-aho  questioned whether Finland has an obligation to aid the women and children of Isis fighters. He did concede, however, that Finnish citizens always have the right to return to the country.
 "This is a question of the adult women. They are a concrete security risk to Finland. Once back in Finland they could continue their terrorist activities," Halla-aho stated.
 Halla-aho added that he wants to know if Foreign Minister  Pekka Haavisto  has supplied accurate information on the issue.
 "Recently we've seen a disconcerting cat and mouse game. In terms of parliamentary oversight, the situation has been unbearable," said Halla-aho. "Are Isis families being brought to Finland? Have parliament and the media been misled?"
 Backing from NCP
 The second main opposition party, the NCP decided Wednesday to back a vote of no-confidence in the government. Its parliamentary group leader, MP  Kai Mykkänen  challenged the new prime minister, Sanna Marin, to shoulder responsibility.
 "You cannot avoid responsibility. Hopefully the government understands now that this is a serious matter," said Mykkänen.
 "There is now great uncertainty whether or not the government has made a political decision and issued a mandate to repatriate Finnish citizens who took part in the operations of the Isis caliphate," Kai Mykkänen stated in parliament.
 The leader of the Christian Democratic Party's parliamentary group,  Päivi Räsänen , echoed a Finnish Security Intelligence Service evaluation that the women in the al-Hol camp would be a security risk. Räsänen did say she would be ready to help the children, though.
 "However, a clear political decision must be made, without hiding behind the backs of civil servants," Räsänen continued.
 The NCP's Mykkänen was also in favour of aiding the children, if a way can be found to do so without compromising security.
 According to Mykkänen the government's statements on the issue have been evasive and those by Foreign Minister Haavisto have been contradictory.
 The NCP's position is that a political decision by the government is required if Finnish citizens in the al-Hol camp are to be actively assisted in returning to the country.
 "If this does not conform to the normal operations based on the law on consular services, but rather on exceptional action, then of course the government must make a political decision. It is extremely corny that apparently an effort has been made to pressure a foreign ministry official to act illegally, without the government's mandate," said Mykkänen.


You can listen to our weekly All Points North podcast via this embedded player, Yle Areena, Spotify, iTunes or your normal pod player using the RSS feed.
 Finnish politics hit worldwide headlines this week, with the  appointment of  Sanna Marin  as Prime Minister  prompting media across the globe to pay attention.
 It’s been quite exceptional for a Finnish politician. Indeed the social media analysis firm Meltwater suggests that she received more mentions on social media in one week than President  Sauli Niinistö  received all year.
 The domestic front is also extremely challenging, with a  bubbling controversy over the repatriation of Finnish citizens from Syria  and ongoing tensions with  Katri Kulmuni’s  Centre Party  over the government’s direction of ideological travel .
 Marin was described by The Guardian as representing ‘ a different type of leadership ’, and had the Daily Mail  trawl  through what it described as VERY candid Instagram posts.
 In this special edition of APN we try to unravel the background and implications of the last week’s events, and answer the central  question we posed last week: What just happened?
 Join the conversation
 If you have any questions or comments or would like to participate in the discussion, contact us via WhatsApp on +358 44 421 0909, on our Facebook or Twitter accounts, or at yle.news@yle.fi. You can also give us your feedback on our English language news services via our  survey .
 The All Points North podcast is a weekly look at what's going on in Finland. Subscribe via  iTunes  (and leave a review!), listen  on Spotify  and  Yle Areena  or find it on your favourite podcatching app or via our  RSS feed .
 This week's show was presented by  Egan Richardson  and  Denise Wall ,and the sound engineer was  Tuomas Vauhkonen .


Social Democratic Party chair and former prime minister  Antti Rinne  was voted Parliament’s first deputy speaker on Wednesday afternoon.
 Rinne received the vote of 101 MPs for the position, with 59 lawmakers abstaining from the ballot. One vote was rejected. Twelve other votes went in favour of various other MPs.
 The first deputy position became vacant when former office holder SDP MP  Tuula Haatainen  took up the post of Labour Minister in the Minister of Economic Affairs and Employment.
 That followed  a cabinet shakeup  after Rinne resigned as PM and handed over the reins of government to  SDP vice chair Sanna Marin .
 You can listen to our weekly All Points North podcast via this embedded player, Yle Areena, Spotify, iTunes or your normal pod player using the RSS feed.
 Rinne’s  resignation followed a declaration of no confidence  in him by the Centre Party over his role in a labour market dispute between postal workers and state-owned national mail carrier Posti.
 The Centre’s  Matti Vanhanen  continues in his role as parliamentary speaker, while the opposition Finns Party’s  Juha Eerola  remains second deputy speaker.


The Ostrobothnian chapter of the opposition National Coalition Party's (NCP) women's association is reeling in a statement made Tuesday, in which the local group appeared to criticise Finland's government for having too few men as party leaders.
 The statement comes right as Finland's  mostly-female government  and Prime Minister  Sanna Marin  are gaining widespread traction in news media around the world.
 The Ostrobothnian NCP women said that having so many female leaders was bad for equality and too one-sided for proper decision-making.
 "It is a good thing that women have entered politics on a local level and even in the most executive positions," the statement read. "We've switched from a herd of oxen to a lipstick government, but is that the best option?" it continued.
 On Wednesday, chair  Anna-Maija Renko  of the Ostrobothnian women's chapter claimed the statement was not a critique against women in government or female majorities in power.
 "I'm quite surprised the message has been flipped like this," Renko said.
 National group condemns local stance
 The nationwide NCP women's association publicly distanced itself from the opinions of their Ostrobothnian colleagues. Chair and MP  Sofia Vikman  said the local chapter's views as expressed in their statement do not reflect the official ethos of the national association.
 "We are overjoyed that women are in positions of power and that there are female-majority governments and boards in Finland. We are proud that women have opportunities to become leaders of their country. The issues, know-how and actions are what matter," Vikman said on Twitter.
 You can listen to our weekly All Points North podcast via this embedded player, Yle Areena, Spotify, iTunes or your normal pod player using the RSS feed.
 Story continues.
 Local chapter chair Renko said they deliberately used somewhat shocking language to get more views, but that the attention they received was not what they had hoped for.
 "Our choice of words could have been better," Renko said.
 The previous government under  Antti Rinne  comprised 11 female and eight male ministers. In Marin's government there are 12 female and seven male ministers. Renko said that her group's statement was about upholding equality.
 "The intention was to encourage women to enter politics. The new government is a base for that. If there are only men or only women, it's not a good thing," Renko said.
 Renko said that the Ostrobothnian NCP women's association publishes a statement after all of their meetings. Previous ones related to topics such as substance abuse treatment and elder care.
 2:58pm: Corrected gender split of Rinne cabinet.


The Foreign Ministry took the lead in planning an operation to repatriate  Finnish nationals who wanted to return to Finland  from the al-Hol refugee camp in Syria, according to official documents seen by Yle.
 The material indicated that the draft plan was to have been executed this week and involved chartering a flight to bring Finnish citizens to the Helsinki-Vantaa airport via Erbil in Iraq.
 The target schedule for the repatriation flight was week 50 of this year – this week.
 Minister denies detailed preps
 Foreign Minister  Pekka Haavisto  has been  caught up in a maelstrom over allegations  that he wanted to push through a plan to bring the women and children back to Finland, even going so far as to sideline a top ministry official in the process.
 At a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, he rejected assertions that detailed plans existed to bring Finnish citizens home.
 He added that the ministry must constantly have a number of different options ready for possible implementation.
 He also avoided comment on whether or not government should adopt a formal position on the repatriation of Finns with ties to individuals who had fought among the ranks of Isis extremists.
 "The Foreign Ministry’s policy is that at least the children should be brought to safety," he told journalists.
 Safeguarding children’s rights
 However the document that Yle saw contained a detailed draft dated 21 November. It stated that the Foreign Ministry had a working group plan dated 15 November, that would guarantee the personal safety and fundamental rights of the children according to the constitution, international agreements and other legislation.
 The draft plan called for the return to Finland from al-Hol of "all individuals who agreed to repatriation". The documents describe the details of the plan and the proposed role of police at different stages of the operation.
 Yle learned that ministry officials were prepared to make changes to the draft arrangements. The main goal was "to get all persons at the Al-Hol camp who were willing to return [to Finland] to Erbil in Kurd-controlled Iraq in one in attempt, from where they would be brought by charter flight to the Helsinki-Vantaa airport in Finland".
 The document outlined one back-up plan that involved several charter flights and the possible use of other airports in Finland apart from Helsinki-Vantaa.
 Police on board
 It went on to state that the schedule for executing the operation was entirely dependent on conditions laid down by local players in the area and the security guarantees they could provide.
 The Foreign Ministry would take the lead on the operation, which would end once the returnees were on Finnish soil, the document stated.
 Police operations regarding the repatriated persons would be planned and executed separately, according to the official account.
 The chair of the operation, which was drafted in November, is a ministry employee. The working group included representatives of the Foreign Ministry, Interior Ministry, the Social Affairs and Health Ministry and the Defence Ministry.
 The operation was dubbed KORPI by the working group, and the document stressed its extreme sensitivity "from security perspectives and an international dimension". The document was signed by police commissioner  Seppo Kolehmainen .
 Kolehmainen has previously denied seeing any plan outlining preparations to bring Finnish citizens in the Syrian camp back to Finland.
 Minister: "Communication could have been better"
 Meanwhile Haavisto admitted during Wednesday’s press conference that there was room for improvement in communication on the matter. However he said that the situation had been complicated by the children’s right to legal protections.
 "If for example, information emerged that only the children were being removed from the camp, people at the camp might start hiding them," he said by way of explanation.
 The minister noted that different scenarios had been drawn up since last summer in the event that the camp was shuttered. However he preferred not to comment in detail on those options.
 He said that the children’s mothers had done wrong by travelling to a conflict region. However the children needed help and he compared their circumstances to child kidnapping.
 PM: Implicit approval from government
 Earlier on Wednesday, Prime Minister  Sanna Marin  commented on the situation in Parliament.
 "I have no information about any official operation, dates or persons," she declared.
 She had previously noted that the matter of the repatriations had been discussed at informal government sessions and that Haavisto’s policy had the government’s implicit approval.
 At the same time, opposition parties  tabled a confidence vote on alleged repatriation plans  with a view to getting explicit an explicit account from the minister about his actions.
 The government will respond to the interpellation next Tuesday before facing its first confidence vote on Wednesday.
 Centre's Kulmuni: "No political decisions" yet
 Meanwhile Centre Party chair and Finance Minister  Katri Kulmuni  said it’s now time to consider whether or not Finland’s legislation is up to dealing with the situation.
 "No political decisions have been made. Just like you I am reliant on media information. However the Centre Party’s line is that terrorists should not be helped or supported," Kulmuni commented.
 In a Helsingin Sanomat piece, President  Sauli Niinistö  called on the new government to make a clear political decision on whether or not to repatriate Finnish citizens from the al-Hol refugee camp.
 "Various assumptions have been put forward at an accelerating rate in recent days. The new government would do well to take a moment and consider making clear political decisions," Niinistö a message to HS.
 Last summer the  Antti Rinne -led government said that  it would not actively seek to return Finnish nationals  from the refugee camp in Syria. At the time Rinne said that his administration was not considering evacuations via channels such as consular services.


Both Yle and Helsingin Sanomat have reported on  documents showing the existence of a draft plan  to repatriate Finnish nationals who wanted to return to Finland from the al-Hol refugee camp in Syria.
 The tabloid  Ilta-Sanomat  writes that a decision on such a plan is needed, but that no one wants to take responsibility. Leading government ministers have avoided questions about making a political decision, and the issue became further clouded on Wednesday.
 This is the case now, notes Ilta-Sanomat, even though President  Sauli Niinistö  stated on Tuesday evening that the government should make a decision.
 During the day Wednesday, Centre Party leader and finance minister  Katri Kulmuni  told this paper that she backed the president's call. Later during an interview with Yle, she denied any knowledge of a plan and stated that it is her party's position that the adult Finnish nationals in the al-Hol refugee camps should not be repatriated.
 Kulmuni added that responsibility lies with Green League Foreign Minister  Pekka Haavisto .
 Social Democratic Prime Minister  Sanna Marin  stated Wednesday that the issue of the repatriations had been discussed at informal government sessions and that Haavisto’s policy had the government’s "tacit approval".
 But she as well denied any knowledge of an operational plan, dates or personnel who could be involved.
 Also in an Yle interview, Interior Minister  Maria Ohisalo , who chairs the Green League, stated that she could not comment on confidential matters that involve the safety of individuals.
 Ilta-Sanomat writes that a 15-minute press conference by Foreign Minister Haavisto did not address many questions and did not clarify who is carrying responsibility in the affair and denied knowledge of a repatriation plan.
 "If it were possible to carry out a concrete operation, I'd be the first to know. At present, there is no such thing," Pekka Haavisto told the media.
 Disinformation frenzy
 Helsinki’s  Iltalehti reports  that a long-planned crisis exercise organized by Finnish Customs and eight other public agencies at Helsinki Airport on Tuesday and Wednesday aroused a deluge of misinformation and disinformation on social media.
 The exercise brought various response units together to practice dealing with a toxic biological threat at the nation's main airport.
 Speculation, and then a flood of social media messages tagged the exercise as a cover-up for the arrival of a flight carrying Finnish nationals from the al-Hol refugee camp.
 The director of communications at Finnish Customs,  Mika Parkkonen , told the paper that there were thousands of postings claiming the exercise was a diversion.
 "As a whole, this can certainly be called disinformation," said Parkkonen, who has been in his post since 2014. "Indeed, this is the largest campaign of disinformation Finnish Customs has been subjected to since I've been in the job. In fact, it's the first major case of disinformation."
 "Finnish Customs is not directly involved in immigration or repatriation, but the discussion on social media linked Customs to those in what we think is an odd way," Parkkonen added
 From strikes to lockouts
 A three-day strike by around 100,000 employees in the industrial sector wrapped up on Wednesday, but now about 4,300 workers in the mechanical wood processing industry find themselves locked out, reports  Helsingin Sanomat .
 Companies, including UPM, Stora Enso, Metsä Group and Versowood, on Thursday began a lockout at more than 30 facilities, sawmills and board mills, around the country.
 The employer's grouping Finnish Forest Industries is using the lockout to pressure union negotiators at the bargaining table. The dispute centres on efforts by the Industrial Union to eliminate extra working hours that were part of a 2016 pact aimed at improving Finland's competitive position in international markets.
 Talks between the two sides are scheduled to resume on the 17th of this month. Finnish Forest Industries members estimate that the lockout will cost them a total of 5-10 million euros in losses a day.
 Dutiful taxpayers
 Kuopio's  Savon Sanomat  carries a STT news agency report of a survey showing that nearly all Finns are dutiful in paying their taxes on time, and in the words of the paper "paying with pride".
 The survey of 1000 taxpayers, commissioned by the Finnish Tax Administration, found that 95 percent said that they pay their taxes on time.
 Also, at 98 percent, they were all but unanimous in agreeing that taxation is important in maintaining a welfare state, while 96 percent see paying taxes as a civic responsibility.
 The lowest positive response was to the question of whether or not people think they get full value for their taxes - 80 percent said they think that they do.
 No, again, to meatless meatballs
 The Pouttu food products company is heading to court in an effort to keep the meat in its meatless meatballs - at least on the packaging, that is.
 The farmers' union daily  Maaseudun Tulevaisuus  reports that on Wednesday the environmental health board of Central Ostrobothnia rejected an appeal to change a decision banning Pouttu from selling prepared foods as "vegetable meatballs" and "vegetable hamburger patties"
 The company claims that objections to using the terms on packaging and in marketing are no more than its competitors' opposition to its new products. Pouttu says that consumers are savvy enough to understand that packages also carrying the words "vegan" or "other ingredients" do not contain meat.
 The board of health says that the law requires that information on food packaging must be accurate, clear, and easily understood. In its view "vegetable meatballs" don't make the grade.
 The online edition of the news weekly  Suomen Kuvalehti  tells us that the complaint was filed thanks to machinations by Pouttu's rival food manufacturer Atria. Pouttu CEO  Mikko Karell  now plans to challenge the board's ruling in an administrative court.
 Back in 2015, Finnish food giant Kesko  renamed a meatball product  containing only machine-recovered meat, essentially scraps, which are not defined as meat in Finnish law. The product was subsequently marketed on the company's website as "pyöryköitä" - or "balls" in English.


Just 48 hours after taking office, Finnish Prime Minister  Sanna Marin  spoke to reporters on arrival in Brussels on Thursday afternoon. She will represent European Council president Finland at a series of summit meetings over the next two days. Finnish media representatives were told there would only be time for one or two questions during the brief press conference.
 The first question concerned the new government's stance on the possible return of Finnish family members of Isis fighters from the al-Hol camp in northern Syria.
 The issue has been the focus of intense debate in Finland over the past week or so. Back in Helsinki, Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto of the Greens briefed politicians from Marin's Social Democratic Party and main coalition partners the Centre on Thursday amid accusations of secrecy and confusion regarding repatriation plans. Opposition MPs grilled cabinet ministers about it during parliamentary question time that afternoon ahead of a confidence vote next Tuesday.
 When a reporter from business daily Kauppalehti began asking about al-Hol, she was cut off by the Finnish Council of State's long-time Head of Communications for EU Affairs,  Anne Sjöholm . She announced that Marin would only answer questions pertaining to the EU meetings.
 Carbon neutrality by 2050 "feasible"
 Marin did discuss the main topic of the summit, a political commitment for the EU to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. She said that the target was feasible and the overall climate agreement would require compromises from everyone.
 Nuclear power, which Marin opposes, has emerged as a divisive issue between member states. On Wednesday, France and seven Eastern European countries blocked a deal struck last week by the Finnish presidency over concerns that nuclear investments would be hindered if atomic power is not classed as “green and sustainable”.
 Marin also evaluated the waning six-month Finnish presidency, which began just weeks after a new Finnish government took office in June with her as transport minister and SDP colleague  Antti Rinne  as premier. On Tuesday Marin succeeded Rinne at the helm of virtually the same cabinet. The presidency term has been overshadowed at home by months of labour unrest which led to Rinne's resignation, and more broadly by the ongoing Brexit turmoil and a handover in power in the European Council.
 "We have done good work during a difficult turning point," she said. "I think that Finland has succeeded well as president during this difficult situation."
 Finland has come under criticism for its proposal for the EU's multi-annual budget, including for excessive agricultural subsidies in 2021-27.


Helsingin Sanomat writes that it has carried out a long-term  investigation into the background  of the Finnish family members of Isis fighters currently held at the al-Hol camp in northern Syria. The paper says it has used a large number of sources for its report. The information has not, however, been confirmed by Finnish officials.
 Helsingin Sanomat says that the 11 women come from various parts of Finland. Over half of them are ethnic Finns. Most of the children are under the age of six. Some of the women moved to Syria before Isis rose to power in the region, but all decided to stay until the end of the so-called "caliphate".
 These Finnish nationals are being held at the al-Hol refugee camp under conditions similar to those of a prisoner of war camp. They are guarded by soldiers of the Syrian Democratic Forces and are unable to leave the camp.
 Helsingin Sanomat reports it has identified 10 of the 11 women. The paper has not released their names.
 Most of the Finnish nationals in the camp are minors. The majority were born in Syria. By law they are entitled to Finnish nationality, as at least one parent was a Finnish citizen.
 The paper writes that it knows of 28 of these children, but there are probably 30. At least two of the women entered adulthood while in Syria.
 Helsingin Sanomat says that the Finnish nationals in Syria formed a close network, many being linked by family ties, marriage, or mutual friends.
 Still no decision
 The newsstand tabloid  Ilta-Sanomat  notes that government question time in parliament on Thursday did not provide any further clarity about whether the government intends to move ahead on repatriating the Finnish nationals held in the al-Hol camp.
 Responding to a question on the issue from an opposition Finns Party MP, Foreign Minister  Pekka Haavisto  was vague,  repeating an earlier statement that the government had discussed the matter in informal talks .
 Haavisto also sidestepped a question asking why he has shifted responsibility for the matter to members of the civil service.
 Centre party chair and finance minister,  Katri Kulmuni , who was standing in for Prime Minister  Sanna Marin , did not give a direct answer to the question of what the government's policy is.
 "The government has made no decision in this matter. The government will respond to the  opposition's interpellation  on Tuesday," was Kulmuni's only reply.
 In a Lännen Media item published by Turku's  Turun Sanomat , political analyst  Anita Simola  says that a decision is being delayed above all over the fear of how it will affect support for the parties in the coalition government.
 Reaction to a repatriation decision is, she writes, a very sensitive topic, and there are fears that supporters will shift their backing to the Finns Party which is already leading the polls.
 Simola goes on to write, "It is good to remember that this government has been in power for only a few days. If this new generation left-centre government is brought down by the 40 Finns in al-Hol, what then? The phrase 'government crisis' has already been thrown around. The need for a joint decision is extremely urgent."
 EU green deal
 European leaders reached an agreement in Brussels on climate change late Thursday night, striking a new "green deal" targeting carbon neutrality within the EU by 2050. Only one member state, Poland, declined to commit to the deal, but will reopen discussions on the agreement in June of next year.
 Commenting to a reporter for the daily of Finland's farmers' union,  Maaseudun Tuelevaisuus , Finland's Prime Minister Sanna Marin described the deal as a major achievement that has been one of the priorities of Finland's current EU presidency.
 According to Marin, the cost of measures to reach carbon neutrality are the reason some member countries were reluctant to sign up. She told the paper though that she believes that by next June all EU countries will get on board.
 "I hope we can all take part in the same journey," said the Finnish PM.
 Safety feature or money maker?
 Oulu's  Kaleva reports  on discontent over the placement of  automated speed cameras on Finnish roads and highways .
 The Heritage Association of National Traffic Police, a group that includes traffic safety efforts among it activities, says that there is no sense in the choice of sites for speed cameras.
 In a release on the subject, the association says that the only reason to use speed cameras is to improve road safety. Its view is that they are being misused by locating them mainly on sections of straight roads with good visibility where passing in traffic is not a problem.
 It points to practice in neighbouring Sweden where drivers are given advance notice of upcoming speed cameras and the speed limit in force, and where close to 100 percent of cameras are used on sections of roads with reduced speed limits or at intersections.
 The association says that in Finland the cameras are regarded as automatic fine issuing machines.
 "In Finland, speed cameras are in the main installed on highways in the middle of straight stretches where is it completely safe to pass other vehicles and where accidentally getting a speeding ticket is very possible," it wrote in a release.
 Along with the Automobile and Touring Club of Finland, this group of former traffic cops is pressing the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency to draw up a more traffic safety-oriented scheme for where the cameras should go.
 Missing PM and an apology
 Iltalehti reports  that there was a delay in Brussels Thursday evening when EU leaders gathered for their traditional summit "family portrait". One was missing - Finland's new prime minister, Sanna Marin.
 The delay led photographers to scurry around looking for the Finnish PM, and reportedly President of the European Council  Charles Michel  was just getting ready to call off the shoot when Marin rushed in along the red carpet and took a place front and centre.
 Iltalehti says it does not know why she kept everyone waiting.
 Marin issued an apology during the evening, not about the photo session, but to the Finnish media  for having their questions cut short  at her brief Q&A session upon arrival at the summit.
 Kuopio's  Savon Sanomat  reported that she used her Twitter account to apologise, adding that her press officer had been too abrupt, and to explain that she was in a rush to meet with the president of the European Council.


This year's Lucia is  Sara Ray , a 24 year-old education student from Esse in Ostrobothnia.
 Saint Lucia Day has Catholic and Orthodox origins and is celebrated across Finland, especially in Swedish-speaking communities.
 Each year's Lucia is chosen by public vote as a charity fund-raising scheme, and then works for several weeks visiting hospitals, retirement homes, schools and other facilities.
 On Friday, Sara Ray will be crowned at 5pm in a ceremony in Helsinki's Lutheran Cathedral by former Finnish President  Tarja Halonen .
 She will emerge from the church and descend to Senate Square. She and her entourage will then lead a procession through the city, as tens of thousands of people gather in the square for the spectacle.
 Many towns and cities chose their own local Lucia, and the day is celebrated in many child daycare centres and schools, especially in those where Swedish is the main language of instruction.


Finance Minister and Centre Party chair  Katri Kulmuni  has apologised and removed an informal Instagram poll in which she asked respondents whether Finland should repatriate only Finnish children or children and mothers currently living at the al-Hol refugee camp in Syria.
 The fledgling government lead by Prime Minister  Sanna Marin  currently faces  a confidence vote  over Foreign Minister  Pekka Haavisto ’s  alleged plans to bring the families back  to Finland.
 On Friday, Kulmuni took to Twitter to announce that she had removed the straw poll. She apologised for the survey in a second tweet.
 "I have indicated the Centre Party's position on the situation at al-Hol. My goal of having a social media discussion about a complex issue failed. I apologise for the poll," she wrote in the follow-up tweet.
 In the her first tweet, Kulmuni said that the survey had caused offence and did not work. At the same time, she stressed the importance of a national debate.
 "This week we have spoken about the difficult situation of Finns at al-Hol. Yesterday I spoke of the Centre Party’s position on this matter. It is a much-discussed national theme. It is also important to have a national debate and to receive feedback. The IG poll caused offence, it has been removed. It did not work out," she wrote.
 Kulmuni’s tweet is followed by a long chain of responses, the majority of which condemned the social media poll.
 Kulmuni’s Instagram post caught the attention of the human rights organisation Human Rights Watch, whose European media director  Andrew Stroehlein  described the tweet as "awful", adding that life and death decisions should not be put to a social media referendum.
 Kulmuni’s personal stance on the situation of Finnish citizens at the al-Hol camp is that the children should receive the government's assistance but the mothers should not.
 Edit: Updated at 1.20pm to indicate that the new government faces a confidence vote on the al-Hol repatriation issue.
 Edit: Updated at 3.45pm to add information about Kulmuni's subsequent tweet apologising for the social media poll.


President  Sauli Niinistö  has tweeted a condemnation of personal attacks targeting public officials. In a tweet posted on Thursday, the president wrote, "This is a serious matter. It must not be that people who serve and protect others are harassed."
 Niinistö's remarks were in response to a tweet by the head of the Foreign Ministry’s Unit for Communications on Europe and Neighbouring Areas,  Ville Cantell , who referenced an Yle report about the harassment of public officials.
 Yle's A-studio TV reporters surveyed various ministry and state agency officials about harassment. They found that police, prosecutors and judges are especially prone to being targets of harassment. In addition, immigration officials as well as wildlife officials dealing with predators are high on the list.
 Among the belittling or threatening actions targeting many civil servants are hate messages, unfounded rumours and the spread of information that violates their privacy.
 Niinistö has taken up the issue in more general terms in the past. The  theme of this year's Independence Day Gala  was "Knowledge and Social Discussion". In that context, the president noted that we now have more information than ever available, but that development has also brought half-truths and lies into social debate.
 "And if we go in that direction, this will become a hard place to live for everyone. Perhaps what is most worrying is the insulting manner of discussion, of attacking individuals. It is quite a painful practice for the target," Niinistö said in late November.


President  Sauli Niinistö  says the government needs to make a decision to clear up confusion over Finland's stance on Finnish citizens currently at the al-Hol camp in Syria. The government has not yet decided whether to repatriate all the Finns in the camp, which houses people who had lived under ISIS rule.
 Finns in the camp have been a hot button issue since the fall of the Isis-controlled territory in Syria, with  media reports  on their fate heightening public debate.
 Speaking on Yle’s Radio 1 during a listener’s question hour programme, Niinistö said he hoped there would soon be clarity on the matter.
 "It looks like there have been very different opinions," said Niinistö, who emphasised that the decision should be made considering both humanitarian issues and security.
 Media uproar
 "The available information has been contradictory and than has definitely confused the public debate. And even I haven’t received clear information on what has happened in all this. It is extremely important that the government gathers its thoughts. On Monday I’m sure we’ll all know the government’s line."
 Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto has been criticised for his actions in  the saga , as the ministry prepared plans for different scenarios including the repatriation of all Finnish citizens there.
 Those plans were later leaked, prompting a media uproar.
 Opposition parties have suggested that adults in the camp should not be brought to Finland, as has the Centre Party--which is in government and holds the Finance Minister portfolio.
 This week Centre leader  Katri Kulmuni  was forced to  delete an Instagram poll  asking her followers whether ‘just children’ or ‘children and mothers’ should be repatriated from al-Hol.
 Kaikkonen: 'At least the children' should be helped
 Defence Minister  Antti Kaikkonen , a member of Kulmuni's Centre Party, also weighed in on the issue on Saturday. Speaking on Yle TV1's Ykkösaamu programme, Kaikkonen said that 'at least the children' should be helped.
 "I personally, and I think many other Finns, find it difficult to understand why a person would leave for those kind of conditions, to join a terror group," said Kaikkonen.
 "And if they leave, is it Finland's responsibility to go fetch them spending taxpayers money?"
 The Uusimaa MP did state clearly that he would like to help the children in the camp.
 "According to my information more than half the children are aged under five," said Kaikkonen. "They are of course completely innocent. My heart says that at least we should be able to help them."


Political parties in Finland have been in a tug-of-war over the principles related to repatriating Finnish citizens from the al-Hol refugee camp in northern Syria for weeks. On Monday President  Sauli Niinistö  drew his line in the sand  in the form of a personal blog post .
 Niinistö began his missive by saying that he would not be backing any particular party line, repeating twice that the government knows his stance, but that he will not be influencing the work of Parliament. He then proceeded to outline his own opinion on dealing with the humanitarian catastrophe.
 "Finland should help children. While dissenting views on Finland's legal obligation have apparently been expressed, the moral duty is clear. This same duty does not extend to the children's mothers, although as citizens they retain the right to consular services," the President wrote online on Monday.
 Niinistö said that problems arise when providing aid to the children is hindered by their mothers' insistence on staying and traveling with them. The Kurdish Regional Government, which controls the camp, says that children cannot be repatriated without their mothers.
 The al-Hol camp has a capacity of 10,000 people, but with the apparent downfall of terrorist organisation Isis the encampment's displaced population has swelled to some 70,000 individuals. About 40 of them are Finnish citizens, mostly children; the Finnish Security Intelligence Service (Supo) considers repatriated Finns from al-Hol to be security risks despite having the capacity to monitor the small number of adult women, should they re-enter the country.
 Helsingin Sanomat wrote  that the coalition government has spent the weekend talking over the next steps, and would mull the issue further on Monday, bringing its policy to the table on Tuesday when it responds to the opposition parties' interpellation.
 Estonian interior minister lashes out against Marin
 In diplomatic news, tabloid  Ilta-Sanomat reported Monday  on Estonian Interior Minister  Mart Helme 's abusive attack on Finland's fresh Social Democratic Prime Minister  Sanna Marin . Helme went on Estonian radio to lash out at Marin's past job history, and even drew confusing historical parallels to the Finnish Civil War.
 According to IS, "now we see that a little check-out girlie has become Prime Minister and some other uneducated street activist becomes an MP," Helme said on the TRE radio channel. "This is symbolic revenge for the 'reds' over the 'whites'. The reds are now in power and they want to make Finland some kind of Euro-province."
 According to Estonian public broadcaster ERR, Helme used the word  müüjatüdruk,  a word that literally means "sales girl".
 When asked for a response, the Prime Minister's Office communications manager  Päivi Anttikoski  said that the PM had "no reason" to comment. However,  regional daily Aamulehti wrote  that late on Sunday Marin posted an innocuous tweet that touched on the minister's comments without explicitly referencing Helme.
 "I'm extremely proud of Finland. Here the child of a poor family can educate themselves highly and reach many goals in life. A cashier can become Prime Minister, for instance. Finland would not survive without its workers. I highly value the work of every employee, professional and entrepreneur!"
 IS  wrote again on Monday  that Estonian Prime Minister  Jüri Ratas  was quick to call for "respectful" cooperation with "friend and ally" Finland.
 "Cooperation between our countries has nothing to do with the composition of a government coalition or the parties that lead it," Ratas was quoted as saying in IS.
 Interior Minister Helme himself  later backpedaled  by saying the views he expressed were not the Estonian government's official stand, but his own personal one and that of his anti-immigrant right-wing party EKRE.
 "In no way do I question the positive cooperation and friendship between Finland and Estonia. We are sister nations and will remain so. Differences of opinion between politicians do not affect our warm affection for the Finns," Helme said.
 Schools drop PE field trips
 Outside of party politics,  Turun Sanomat  wrote about a new Ministry of Education mandate that calls for the scrapping of physical education programmes that require the parents of students to chip in financially.
 Deputy-Ombudsman  Pasi Pölönen  laid down the law in October, saying that Finnish primary education should be entirely free for all students, and so schools should not organise PE trips that require a student's family to cover part of the cost.
 TS reports that primary school staff have been forced to scramble in light of the new demand, overhauling their PE curricula. Vice principal  Tuulia Suominen  from the Maijamäki school in Naantali said that fewer activities would now be available due to education budget limitations.
 "So far our elective field trips have taken students out to try sports such as rock-climbing, karting, downhill skiing and laser tag. The city pays for the transportation, but students have partly covered other expenditures. The school can afford a few euros per child, and not much more," Suominen said in TS.
 Director  Matti Lahtinen  from the Finnish National Agency for Education said the Deputy-Ombudsman's policy is clear, but that many schools will face big changes.
 "The worry is this will decrease the amount of teaching outside of school proper. I hope municipalities understand that money for that is needed too, so that students do not get treated unequally due to their place of residence."
 12.57: Updated with ERR translation of Helme comment.
 14.17: Clarified meaning of Estonian word  (müüjatüdruk).


Estonian President  Kersti Kaljulaid  called her Finnish counterpart  Sauli Niinistö  on Monday to formally apologise for  comments made a day earlier  by Estonian Interior Minister  Mart Helme .
 Helme, who leads the right-wing populist Conservative People's Party (Ekre), criticised Finland's new government and Prime Minister  Sanna Marin  in a radio interview.
 Niinistö's office issued a statement saying that he had passed Kaljulaid's apology on to Marin and her cabinet.
 "A salesgirl has become PM"
 In an interview with commercial radio channel TRE, Helme said, "Now we can see that a salesgirl has become prime minister and some other street activist and uneducated person has also become a member of the government."
 He linked the new government to the Finnish Civil War of 1918.
 "Now we can actually see to some extent the historical revenge of the Reds on the Whites, that is to say, the Reds who wanted to liquidate the Finnish state during the Civil War have now come to power and are now desperately trying to liquidate Finland, making it a Euro-province," he said.
 Besides Marin's SDP, the five-party coalition includes the Centre Party, the Greens, the Left Alliance and the Swedish People's Party.
 Helme predicted that opposition Finns Party chair  Jussi Halla-aho  would become Finland's next Finnish prime minister because "something as unintelligible as what is happening in Finland has probably not happened there for centuries". The Finns Party and Ekre are both part of the far-right Identity and Democracy group in the European Parliament.
 Marin responds indirectly
 On Sunday the Director of Government Communications in the Prime Minister's Office,  Päivi Anttikoski , said that Marin had "no reason" to respond to the comments.
 Later on Sunday, Marin replied indirectly with a tweet saying, "I'm extremely proud of Finland. Here the child of a poor family can educate themselves highly and reach many goals in life. A cashier can become Prime Minister, for instance. Finland would not survive without its workers. I highly value the work of every employee, professional and entrepreneur!"
 Estonian Prime Minister  Jüri Ratas  called for "respectful" cooperation with "friend and ally" Finland, saying it "has nothing to do with the composition of a government coalition or the parties that lead it".
 Foreign minister  Urmas Reinsalu  called the comments "inappropriate", while a range of other politicians also decried the statements.
 According to Estonian public broadcaster ERR, two of the country's opposition parties say they will seek a vote of no confidence in the government if Ratas does not force Helme out.


The National Prosecution Authority said on Monday that it will begin a preliminary probe into the alleged leak of a confidential government document to the media.
 The state prosecutor’s office said that the initial inquiry stems from a request by the National Police Board for an investigation into the suspected leak of a  plan to repatriate Finnish citizens  at the al-Hol refugee camp in Syria.
 The prosecutor’s office will consider whether or not there are sufficient grounds to launch a police investigation into the suspected media leak.
 The freshly-installed government led by SDP vice chair  Sanna Marin   faces a confidence vote  in Parliament over opposition claims that Foreign Minister  Pekka Haavisto   did not disclose details of the alleged plan  to MPs.
 Jussi Halla-aho , chair of the largest opposition group, the Finns Party, has also raised concerns about a potential security risk posed by some of the returning adults.
 Police chief suspects leak
 Both Yle and daily Helsingin Sanomat have based some of their reporting on the matter on the leaked document. The material detailed a Foreign Ministry-led proposal for the November evacuation of willing Finnish nationals from the al-Hol camp.
 The document also outlined planned police activities after the repatriations and was signed by police commissioner  Seppo Kolehmainen .
 Last week the police chief told Demokraatti, the Social Democratic Party-backed news service, that he thought it was possible that the plan had been leaked by police.
 "There is reason to suspect that there has been illegal activity and that confidential information has been leaked to the public," Kolehmainen was quoted as saying.
 Once the initial probe has been completed, the prosecutor’s office will decide whether or not a formal preliminary investigation to look into a possible criminal offence.


The main opposition parties, the Finns Party and the National Coalition Party, failed to warm to Prime Minister  Sanna Marin ’s assurances that the government was making progress implementing its four-year programme during a debate Monday afternoon on the new administration's four-year plan.
 "Although it is not always reflected in the discussion in this chamber, implementation of the government programme is off to a good start. Next year’s budget will introduce a number of important reforms," Marin told MPs.
 The PM was referring to measures such as higher pensions for low-income retirees and improved social benefits as well as increased spending on education and basic services.
 The Marin government programme is the same as that of ex-premier  Antti Rinne , however since it’s now the policy roadmap of a new administration it must be discussed in a plenary session of parliament. After Monday’s opening debate, MPS will put the new government to its first confidence vote.
 Finns Party: We saw "theatrical government negotiations"
 Finns Party MPs were unmoved by Marin’s statements, however. Chair of the nationalist party’s parliamentary group  Ville Tavio  said that Antti Rinne’s resignation should have triggered a new election.
 "It would have been a service to democracy if Rinne’s resignation had led to new parliamentary elections," he declared.
 Tavio accused the administration of engaging in government negotiation theatrics. He justified his view by observing that no real thought had been given to reorganising the composition of the coalition.
 "The Left-Green alliance shut out the election’s second-largest party, the Finns Party, from the outset," he charged.
 He also pointed out that former minister responsible for state ownership and steering,  Sirpa Paatero , was given a new ministerial portfolio in Marin’s cabinet. Rinne, on the other hand, was appointed first deputy speaker of parliament after the shakeup.
 The Finns Party currently lead voter opinion polls and have been building up support, while government parties have been leaching voter backing.
  NCP: Marin given "a fair chance"
 Petteri Orpo , chair of the second-largest opposition group, the National Coalition Party, said that he had given the Marin government a fair chance.
 "We want to give Prime Minister Marin a fair chance, although based on the first days it looks like the missteps are continuing. The NCP will evaluate the government on the basis of its actions," Orpo declared.
 Orpo went on to say that the government programme was built on sand.
 "The biggest problem with the Marin government programme is that the economic foundation will not hold. According to the finance ministry, based on current economic development, public finances will be five billion in deficit by the end of the government’s term in office. Indebtedness has already begun to rise even though the economy is still growing,” he noted.
 The NCP chair said it is for this reason that the party will vote against the government in Tuesday’s confidence vote.
 Centre: More local collective agreements
 Vice chair of the Centre Party parliamentary group  Hanna-Leena Mattila  said that the current government will continue the policies of the  Juha Sipilä  administration.
 "Finland has not veered from the right to left compared to the last government, it has remained in the centre," she added.
 Mattila pointed out that the new government, in which the Centre is a coalition partner, is an advocate for disadvantaged people and regions. The Centre had criticised former PM Antti Rinne for his frequent condemnation of the policies of the Sipilä government.
 She called on the new administration to restore people’s faith in politics. She said that key to achieving that would be improving people’s everyday lives, primarily by boosting employment.
 "Young people without jobs, the long-term unemployed and part-time workers must get work. This is why employing people and finding jobs must be made easier. The most important solution is increasing local collective bargaining agreements," she advised.
 Centre chair and finance minister  Katri Kulmuni  has already stated that an important goal for the Centre during the government’s term is to promote local employment agreements.