Summary: 6 December is a day of time-honoured traditions in Finland.

The  glittering Presidential Reception  may steal the limelight each year on 6 December, but the day is punctuated by several other events that have become tradition.
 For the last few decades the country has celebrated its birthday in largely the same fashion, with the same series of events scheduled throughout the day. Here is a play-by-play rundown of the events in Helsinki on Friday.
 9am:  The raising of the Finnish flag at Tähtitornimäki, choir performance, address from the Speaker of the Parliament.
 9:05am:  Sun rises.
 10:05am:  Broadcast of 1939 film Seven Brothers on Channel One.
 11:30am:   Heikki Hursti ’s "poor man’s ball." The event  distributes free food  in Helsinki’s Hakaniemi district and is one of the main grass-roots events seeking to include society’s outliers in the celebrations.
 Noon:
 Finland’s President and top ministers attend an ecumenical church service at the Lutheran Cathedral in central Helsinki, televised and streamed by Yle.
 A military parade in a different city each year. This year, tanks  rolled through the streets of Tampere , amid some 30,000 onlookers. The parade also featured a 30-strong riding cavalry. Several other cities throughout the country arrange parades or concert performances in the afternoon.
 3:17pm:  Sun sets.
 4pm:  Student groups, dignitaries and residents normally pay homage to Finland’s war veterans with visits to memorials and cemeteries. Part of this tradition entails lighting candles at the graves of war heroes and former presidents. Many of Finland’s presidents are buried in Helsinki’s Hietaniemi cemetery.
 4:30pm:  After dusk arrives, Many Finns light candles in the windows of their homes, a tradition that dates back to the 1920s.
 5:00pm:  University students begin a torchlight procession through the town. In Helsinki, the students leave from the Hietaniemi Cemetery at 5 pm and pass the Presidential Palace where the President usually greets the procession from the balcony. The march then proceeds to the Senate Square, where just before 6 pm patriotic hymns are sung by the Helsinki Male Voice Choir and the mayor of the city gives a speech.
 6:11pm  Many Finns round off their holiday evening by settling down at 6pm to watch live coverage of the President’s Independence Day Reception.
 Knowledge and discussion  are the themes  for this year’s annual Independence Day Gala, according to the office of President  Sauli Niinistö. . Last year's reception emphasised  the environment . The event is broadcast live from the Presidential Palace and is  one of the most-watched television programmes  of the year.

Finland celebrates 102nd Independence Day


Summary: Helsinki is seeing demonstrations by neo-Nazi groups as well as those condemning the far right on Friday.

Police on Friday said they had detained at least five people for disturbing the peace during Independence Day marches. Police tweeted that those apprehended were carrying illicit items, such as torches.
 Around 5.30pm climate activist group Elokapina told the Finnish News Agency (STT) it temporary blocked the neo-Nazi Soldiers of Odin procession by sitting down on the sidewalk on Töölönkatu. The Soldiers of Odin began assembling on Kansalaistori “citizens’ square” outside Helsinki’s central library, Oodi, around 4pm.
 Story continues after photo
 A speaker at a Soldiers of Odin rally makes a Nazi salute. Marja Väänänen / Yle
 The 2,700-strong “Helsinki without Nazis” counter-demonstration left Narinkkatori Square in Kamppi around 5.30pm, shouting slogans in Finnish and Swedish. Protesters included families with young children and senior citizens. Demonstrators carried rainbow flags and signs slamming fascists and Nazis.
 Story continues after photo
 "Down with the far-right," reads the sign on the left. Pekka Tynell / Yle
 Police said some 150 people had joined the Soldiers of Odin demonstration, which had drawn people from as far away as Estonia and Sweden.
 The Soldiers of Odin carried banners calling for "patriotic rebellion". Marja Väänänen / Yle
 Police have been actively monitoring the area surrounding Helsinki's Central Railway Station, as members of the Finnish chapter of the Nordic Resistance movement PVL were sighted in the area, according to the Finnish News Agency.
 Police had earlier announced that they had  barred the neo-Nazi Towards Freedom group (Kohti Vapautta! in Finnish) from organising an Independence Day procession . The group is considered illegal and is widely viewed as an offshoot of the banned neo-Nazi Nordic Resistance Movement (PVL). Police believe the PVL and the Towards Freedom Movement have the same active members.
 Riding police monitoring demonstrations in Helsinki on 6 December. Marja Väänänen / Yle
 Demonstrations across Helsinki
 3pm – 5.30pm
 A procession in honour of Independence Day will gather near the National Museum in Taka-Töölö and proceed toward Mäntymäki Field at around 4pm. Police have assessed this march as being a far-right event.
 4pm – 7pm
 The fourth annual "Helsinki without Nazis" march will assemble at Narinkkatori Square and proceed to the Taivallahti plaza or the park near Hesperiankatu. Marchers will set off at about 5.30pm.
 The "Helsinki without Nazis" event has traditionally been held to protest the far right in Helsinki. According to organisers, in previous years it has attracted between 2,000 and 3,000 participants. Organisers have said that they want to condemn the 612 far-right torch procession, which starts at 6pm.
 5pm – 6pm
 Helsinki’s traditional university students’ Independence Day procession will depart from Hietaniemi and make its way to the Presidential Palace before ending at Senate Square.
 6pm – 8.30pm
 The sixth annual far-right 612 torch procession is expected to move from the market square in Töölö on Runeberginkatu toward the Hietaniemi cemetery. Marchers are expected to get moving from 7pm.
 The 612 procession has been profiled as far right, as it has brought together intensely nationalist and anti-immigrant participants. Members of the banned Nordic Resistance Movement have joined the ranks of this procession in recent years.
 9pm – 11.30pm
 An Independence Day memorial will take place in the park outside the Parliament Annex building.

Police detain several Independence Day protesters


Summary: Viewers of the President's Independence Day gala cast over 150,000 votes for best-dressed.

Some 2.7 million people in Finland tuned in to follow Friday evening's  Independence Day gala , which is most-watched programme in the annual TV calendar.
 First lady  Jenni Haukio 's fuchsia dress was voted the best by Yle viewers, drawing over 12,000 votes. Haukio dug into her closet for sartorial inspiration this year, recycling an outfit she wore at the 2015 Independence Day gala. Fashion experts told Yle the first lady was making a statement that it's okay rewear the same looks. She did, however, alter the dress by adding lace sleeves.
 Last year Haukio's Independence Day dress was  made from birch trees  in a nod to the gala's 2018 environmental theme.
 First couple Sauli Niinistö and Jenni Haukio. Markku Ulander / Lehtikuva
 In second place with more than 11,000 votes was a flowing floral creation worn by  Jitka Nováčková , girlfriend of  Tim Sparv , captain of the Finnish National Football Team.
 Heikki Saukkomaa / Lehtikuva
 Third runner-up was 2018 teacher of the year  Sari Salo , whose Greek-inspired evening gown drew nearly 11,000 votes.
 Mårten Lampén / Yle
 More than 40,000 people cast their vote for the best-dressed via Yle's app. Users were able to select more than one gown as their favourite, leading to some 160,000 split votes. People could, however, only vote for the same dress once.

First lady Jenni Haukio's recycled outfit audience favourite


Summary: The Finnish Reservists' Association criticises a Russian museum for spreading false information about the Winter War.

A tweet by a Russian state-run museum painting Finland as the initial aggressor in the Winter War has angered the 37,000-member strong Finnish Reservists' Association. This year marks the 80th anniversary since the start of the  105-day Winter War .
 Last week a state-run museum in Moscow tweeted that the Winter War broke out when Finnish artillery fired at Soviet stations. The tweet referenced a staged incident known as the Shelling of Mainila, which was orchestrated by the Soviet Union to paint Finland as an aggressor and justify launching an offensive.
 “Back in 1994, Russian president Boris Yeltsin said the Winter War was Stalin's crime against Finland,”  Ilpo Pohjola , chair of the Finnish Reservists' Association said in a statement, adding that  Vladimir Putin  has also expressed that he would not have acted the way  Josef Stalin  did at the time.
 When newsstand tabloid Iltalehti reached out to the museum regarding the tweet, the institution claimed the tweet had been misinterpreted and that it referred to the reasoning given at the time the Winter War began.
 Iltalehti said the museum’s response was apologetic, stating it hoped the twitterstorm would not negatively impact relations between the two neighbors.

Finnish Reservists’ Association slams false Russian interpretation of Winter War


Summary: Police have identified 6,000 people in Finland who bought and sold illicit substances on darkweb site Silkkitie.

Police have launched thousands of criminal investigations into suspected narcotics offences committed over the drug-selling dark web site Silkkitie, or Silk Road, which  officials seized  earlier this year.
 Finnish Customs, the National Bureau of Investigation and police departments across Finland are investigating thousands of suspected offences related to the Finnish drug-selling site Silkkitie on the hidden Tor network. Silkkitie, also known as Valhalla, began selling drugs and other illicit products on the dark web in 2013.
 Digital forensic investigators have been able to uncover the identities of thousands of Finnish sellers and buyers on the site.
 “Customs has already identified over 6,000 people,” detective superintendent  Jari Räty  from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said.
 Most of the suspects have no previous criminal background and come from all facets of society, according to Customs. Men make up 84 percent of suspects and women 16.
 “It is an enormous investigative effort throughout the country. At the moment, most police departments are going through the material received from Finnish Customs,” Räty explained.
 For several years, narcotics, doping substances, medicinal substances and weapons were brokered via Silkkitie and Valhalla. Silkkitie was one of the oldest and internationally best-known trade sites selling narcotics through an encrypted network, according to Finnish Customs.
 Drugs spread to countryside
 Officials said Silkkitie considerably increased the supply of narcotics in Finland, especially beyond large cities while also supplying drugs to minors as young as 15.
 “The online narcotics trade has moved drugs beyond Finland’s largest cities,” Räty said, adding that the site made it possible to order drugs to one's doorstep using regular mail.
 Some 400,000 pseudonyms were registered on the site which featured 78,000 different products for sale. Silkkitie concluded some 500,000 transactions, resulting in a total turnover of 50 million euros. The administrator took an average five-percent commission of the trade carried out on the website.
 Some of the purchases made on Silkkitie were so large that officials suspect buyers resold the products.
 “In the encrypted network buyers believed that the online trade in narcotics and other illegal products was 'safe' because of the anonymity. This myth has now been broken," said  Hannu Sinkkonen , director of enforcement at Finnish Customs.
 German, French, Canadian and American officials as well as Europol cooperated in the seizure of Silkkitie. Finland's Prosecution Authority has assigned a national group of 22 prosecutors to handle cases arising from the cache.
 "Having specially assigned prosecutors handle the criminal matters related to Silkkitie ensures more effectively that criminal liability is imposed equally and uniformly, regardless of where in Finland an offence has been committed," specialised prosecutor  Anna-Riikka Ruuth  said in a statement.
 The Finnish darknet site used the same name as the US-run black market Silk Road, which the FBI shut down in 2013.

Police launch thousands of investigations into suspected crimes on Finnish Silk Road


Summary: Centre-left coalition partners say they still believe in the programme hammered out under ousted PM Antti Rinne.

Coalition partners on Saturday said they approved of former PM  Antti Rinne ’s government programme, responding to a survey sent out by him to help move government formation talks along. Rinne, who  resigned earlier this week , is leading negotiations on forming a new government.
 Rinne’s five-party coalition was made up of the Social Democratic Party, the Centre Party, the Greens, the Left Alliance and the Swedish People's Party.
 The Social Democrats' government partners also said they were prepared to form a new government led by the SDP.
 However parties in the opposition—the Finns Party, the National Coalition Party, the Christian Democrats and Movement Now—responded that they were not prepared to approve the programme crafted by Rinne’s administration.
 Rinne, who was ousted from the premiership earlier this week, will meet with parliamentary group representatives starting Sunday morning in an effort to assemble a new cabinet by next Tuesday.
 The SDP’s party council is set to choose a prime ministerial candidate on Sunday evening.
 Postal scandal toppled Rinne
 A  protracted postal strike  this autumn over workers' terms and conditions culminated in the  resignation of the SDP minister in charge of overseeing state-owned firms,  Sirpa Paatero . News emerged that she knew of Posti's plans to shift some workers to a lower-paying contract and misled MPs about it. Since then, there have been indications that former union boss Rinne, too, knew of the plan and tacitly approved it in August.
 These events led to the Centre Party expressing  a lack of confidence in Rinne , which ultimately led to him stepping down as prime minister ahead of a parliamentary challenge filed by opposition parties.
 Finland eyes 30-something premier
 Two politicians are in the running for the premiership: Minister of Transport and Communications  Sanna Marin , who is the deputy party chair and a  former acting party chair , and  Antti Lindtman , leader of the SDP parliamentary group.
 Finland's next premier will eventually be elected by Parliament and appointed by the president.

SDP coalition partners prepared to stick with Rinne's programme


Summary: Finnish prisons are creating separate units for gang members, reports local news conglomerate Lännen Media (LM).

Finland’s closed prisons will soon feature gang wings, writes Lännen Media (LM). The move aims to protect other inmates, according to Finland's Criminal Sanctions Agency (Rise).
 In the future, Finland will also have two maximum security facilities for the country's most dangerous inmates. Rise said the changes aim to ensure the safety of inmates not affiliated with gangs.
 While some of Finland’s closed prisons already feature gang units, Rise is requiring that all penitentiaries establish separate areas for housing gang members.
 Law enforcement officials are meanwhile looking to  improve the safety of prison guards  by introducing more security checks for prison personnel.
 The organised crime syndicate United Brotherhood exercises great unofficial power in Finnish prisons, according to LM.
 The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has said United Brotherhood dominates the prison drug trade, forcing inmates and their families to commit crimes.
 Rise has earlier described the United Brotherhood — a coalition of three previously independent criminal groups — as the most powerful and  feared criminal organisation in Finnish prisons , which employs tactics such as violence, threats, blackmail, invented debts and promises of brotherhood membership.

Finnish prisons to establish gang wings


Summary: In the past 15 years, the number of people seeking gender reassignment has grown 20-fold in Finland.

Researchers at Helsinki University Hospital want to find out how many people regret transitioning and how many are requesting gender reversals after undergoing reassignment.
 Since 2010, the number of people seeking gender reassignment in the western world has soared.
 In Finland, Tampere and Helsinki University Hospitals run gender identity clinics for people wanting to transition. Between 2003 and 2007, around 20 people a year sought treatment at these centres but over the past few years that number grew to 200-300 annually. In 2018, doctors referred 400 people to these programmes, which are tasked with vetting whether a person has a transgender identity ahead of any medical intervention.
 “About half of people come in with a trans diagnosis,” said  Niina Puustinen  from Helsinki University’s gender identity clinic.
 This year the clinic launched a study to chart patients who have detransitioned after regretting gender reassignment. Researchers hope the study will shed light on how to prevent transition regrets. The study will be published next year.
 "I wish I'd never done it"
 Twenty-seven year-old Nita said her mental health problems were not adequately addressed before she began a medical female to male transition.

 Nita, who doesn’t want to provide her full name, spent several years living as a man, but has since transitioned back to live as a woman.
 “I wish I’d never started the transitioning process. I should have had other ways of coping with my problems,” she said.
 Nita said she's not alone and that she knows several people who have transitioned back to their original gender.
 Irreversible effects
 Nita began transitioning to male in her 20s, saying she approached transitioning lightly, akin to getting a tattoo. To make her body more masculine, Nita took testosterone and had a mastectomy.
 “The whole trans process injected meaning into my life. There was a constant goal to work towards,” she explained. “Now it bothers me that I’m a 27-year-old woman who sounds like a teenage boy.”
 Nita told Yle she has dealt with a range of mental health issues since her teens, including depression, eating disorders and self-destructive behaviour.
 “But even despite my mental health history, doctors easily gave me a transgender diagnosis,” she explained.
 Nita said she was always a tomboy and that as she grew into an adult, she began feeling disassociated from what she saw in the mirror.
 Nita said she had several trans friends. Constructing a trans identity was easy.
 “We had the same types of experiences and problems. Through this group of people, I began framing my gender experience in a new way. I started thinking I’m something other than a woman.”
 She said she spent a lot of time with others who didn't identify with binary gender.
 “This made things somewhat one-sided,” Nita explained.
 She said any concerns she had about undergoing reassignment surgery were brushed away by her friends.
 “They claimed any uncertainty about undergoing the process was related to deep-seated phobias against trans people.”
 After joining online support groups, Nita said her bubble grew bigger. She said online friends suggested severing ties with people questioning her trans identity.
 Unknown territory
 Going through with a medical transition was straightforward, according to Nita.
 “It feels unreal that the medical community allowed a seriously traumatised woman like myself to do all of these things to her body—cutting out healthy tissue,” Nita said. “It was all so easy.”
 She told Yle doctors should have dug deeper into the roots of her body dysphoria.
 Deputy chief doctor  Katinka Tuisku  from the Helsinki and Uusimaa Hospital District (HUS) said officials don’t maintain records on how many people have detransitioned.
 “But it’s possible that we only find out about a small number of these cases. Some of these people have come back to us for treatment. We try to help them any way we can.”
 Tuisku said transgender reversal surgery is very challenging as some changes can't be undone.
 Nita is considering breast augmentation as well as laser hair removal as having received testosterone means she now has to shave every few days.
 While Nita said she believes she was allowed to transition too easily, others say Finland should provide better access to treatment.
 “[Doctors] are too careful in Finland, and it’s causing a lot of young people to be unwell,” said  Tanja von Knorring  of Trasek, a Finnish association for transgender and intersex rights.
 Nita meanwhile said she faces an uphill battle to journey back to where she was.
 “It feels incredibly difficult to go to a public health centre doctor to get a referral back to the gender identity clinic to say, ‘Hey, I regret my transition’”.
 EDIT 9.12.2019 This story originally referred to 'sex change' regret. That has been changed to 'gender reassignment' and 'transition'.

Study aims to chart transition regret in Finland


Summary: The Social Democratic Party Council on Sunday night elected Sanna Marin as their candidate for the premiership.

The SDP Party Council on Sunday evening elected  Sanna Marin  to serve as Finland’s new Prime Minister, following  Antti Rinne' s  resignation  on 3 December. The fallout from a  protracted postal dispute  led to Rinne stepping down ahead of a  parliamentary challenge  filed by opposition parties.
 Marin received 32 votes while fellow fellow SDP politician in the running for the premiership  Antti Lindtman  drew 29 votes from members of the Social Democratic Party Council.
 At 34, Marin is two years younger  Esko Aho  who became Finland's prime minister in 1990 at the age of 36.
 Marin is a second-term MP from Tampere and has been Minister of Transport and Communications  since June . She led the party during Rinne's  extended sick leave  last winter.
 Marin holds a Master's in Administrative Studies and is married with a toddler.
 In a  letter  she sent to SDP members on Sunday, Marin said, "Finland is in the midst of an exceptional situation. The main focus for Social Democrats is to continue our work in building a fairer and more egalitarian society."
 Working-class background
 During general elections this spring, Marin's  campaign  emphasised environmental sustainability and equality. Marin is against Finland joining NATO and has said she wants to phase-out fossil fuel vehicles.
 Raised by a single mother, she has  blogged  about her working-class background and the financial difficulty her family faced. She said she was the first person from her family to finish high school and gain a university education, achievements which she credits to the welfare state. Marin has also talked about the  stigma  she encountered as her mother was later in a same-sex relationship with a woman.
 Finland's next premier will eventually be elected by Parliament and appointed by the president.

Finland to get youngest-ever PM


Summary: The nation's youngest PM grabs the headlines, but there is also a ministerial comeback as 100,000 go on strike.

Ministerit, ministeriöt ja valtioneuvosto

Finland’s newspapers are dominated by one story: the selection of  Sanna Marin  by the Social Democratic Party Council  to be the next Prime Minister .
 Helsingin Sanomat writes that Marin’s slim victory over  Antti Lindtman  at the council meeting on Sunday night means  the Finnish government is now run by five women  - four of whom are under 35.
 If Marin also becomes the chair of her party — and she has indicated that she intends to challenge outgoing Prime Minister  Antti Rinne  for the position — then all five parties in the coalition government would be chaired by women, HS writes.
 Alongside Marin as Prime Minister will be the 32-year-old leader of the Centre Party and Minister of Economic Affairs  Katri Kulmuni  — who has now been named to become Finance Minister, 34-year-old  Maria Ohisalo,  who heads up the Green Party and serves as Interior Minister, 32-year-old Left Alliance chair and Minister of Education  Li Andersson , and 55-year-old Swedish People’s Party leader and Minister of Justice  Anna-Maja Henriksson .
 HS’s sister tabloid Ilta-Sanomat has a  profile piece  on the new PM — as do many other papers — to introduce the "relatively unknown" Marin to their readers.
 The paper speaks to a number of Marin’s former colleagues and the comments range from very positive: "she is smart and quick to learn", according to a former colleague on the Tampere city council, to very critical: "intense green left-wing freak", from a source who did not wish to be named, IS writes.
 The paper also notes that the "calm and restrained" Marin can show a tougher side too, as evidenced during a famous  Tampere city council meeting  (video with English subtitles) in 2016 when she became increasingly exasperated at the behaviour of some of her tram-sceptical council colleagues as they filibustered the debate.
 Paatero's long week
 The old adage, usually attributed to former British Prime Minister  Harold Wilson , that a "week is a long time in politics" is certainly true for  Sirpa Paatero .
 Tabloid Iltalehti  writes that the former Minister for State Ownership Steering , who resigned on November 29 after providing confusing answers about what she knew and when in relation to national mail carrier Posti’s plans to  cut the pay of 700 workers , is now back in politics as Finland’s Minister of Local Government.
 The tabloid explains that although Paatero tended her resignation to Rinne and went on sick leave, the resignation was not processed before Rinne himself resigned on December 3.
 "Well, yes, I have to admit, it's been quite a tough week," Paatero told the paper, adding that she is "of course delighted and really taken with confidence" that she figures in Marin’s future plans.
 100,000 start strike
 Turku-based daily Turun Sanomat reports on a  planned strike by as many as 100,000 workers  that began on Monday morning. The strike, one of the largest in recent years, will see workers attached to the Industrial Union, Trade Union Pro and the Federation of Professional and Managerial Staff YTN down tools for the next three days.
 This includes workers involved in fuel production, pharmaceutical companies, mines and several technology companies.
 The paper writes that the strike is unlikely to have an impact on the lives of ordinary citizens in the short term but if it were to be prolonged, it may impact the availability of some medicines and the distribution of heating oil.
 The paper also quotes  Minna Helle , labour market director at the Federation of Finnish Technology Industries, who believes the strike will have a detrimental effect on Finnish exports over the coming days.
 "There is little awareness among international customers that products will not be delivered due to the strike. This poses a threat to customer relationships and Finland's reputation," Helle said.
 In response to her comments,  Riku Aalto , president of the Confederation of Finnish Industries, said that employer representative always try to paint "gloomy clouds" in these situations.

Monday’s papers: Finland’s new Prime Minister, Paatero's return, and an industrial strike


Summary: The current Minister for Transport and Communications will also be Finland's youngest ever PM.

When Finland's parliament votes in the next few days on the Social Democratic Party's nomination of  Sanna Marin  as prime minister, the 34-year-old current Minister of Transport and Communications is likely to become the world's youngest serving head of government.
 Currently that title is held by the 35-year-old Ukrainian Prime Minister  Oleksiy Honcharuk , who took office in May.
 Marin will also become the youngest prime minister in Finnish history, as she is two years younger than the Centre Party's  Esko Aho , who became prime minister in April 1991 at the age of 36.
 Marin was asked a question about her age as soon as the result of the vote was announced at the Social Democratic Party Council in Helsinki on Sunday evening.
 "I will respond in the same way as before. I have not actually ever thought about my age or my gender, I think of the reasons I got into politics and those things for which we have won the trust of the electorate," Marin said.
 There is no official list of the youngest Heads of State or Prime Ministers, but after Marin and Honcharuk, the list of the next youngest includes North Korean leader  Kim Jong-Un  (36), El Salvador President  Nayib Bukele  (38) and New Zealand Prime Minister  Jacinda Ardern  (39).
 Marin's coalition partners all led by women
 Marin's coalition partners in Finland’s five-party government are all led by women - four of whom are under 35 years of age; 32-year-old current Minister of Economic Affairs -- and soon-to-be Minister of Finance --  Katri Kulmuni  is the leader of the Centre Party, 34-year-old  Maria Ohisalo  heads up the Green Party and serves as Interior Minister, 32-year-old Minister of Education  Li Andersson  is the Left Alliance chair, and 55-year-old  Anna-Maja Henriksson  is the Swedish People’s Party leader and Minister of Justice.
 Marin has risen very quickly through the political ranks since she became head of Tampere City Council at the age of 27, and she is currently into her second term as a member of parliament. She already has some experience in the top job as she led the party during the previous incumbent  Antti Rinne 's  sick leave  last winter.
 Marin set out the vision for her premiership in a  letter  to SDP members on Sunday, as she wrote "Finland is in the midst of an exceptional situation. The main focus for Social Democrats is to continue our work in building a fairer and more egalitarian society."

Marin to be youngest sitting PM in the world


Summary: Centre chair Katri Kulmuni is to become finance minister while Mika Lintilä moves over to economic affairs.

The reshuffle of Finland's government continues on Monday. The previous evening, the two main partners, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Centre Party, decided to form a slightly altered cabinet based on the same platform as its predecessor.
 To the surprise of some within its own leadership, the Centre announced a key ministerial swap on Monday morning.
 Katri Kulmuni , who took over as Centre leader in September, is to become finance minister while outgoing finance chief  Mika Lintilä  will in effect be demoted to his former post as minister of economic affairs. The finance minister, who oversees the budget, also traditionally serves as deputy prime minister.
 Kulmuni said she considers it crucial that cooperation is smooth between the government's 'power duo' of prime minister and finance minister.
 In both cases, the former older male ministers are being replaced by younger women. The five weightiest portfolios in the new cabinet will likely be held by women, four of them in their early 30s.
 In a difficult situation, Kulmuni said, it is the party leader's responsibility to take on the heaviest portfolio. After her speech, she told Yle that the changes had been made faster than she expected, and unanimously.
 "We didn't know that the whole Council of State would change. When a big change takes place, it is important that the government's axle, the power duo of prime minister and finance minister, works. That is the foundation of this 'red soil' government," she said, using the old moniker for partnerships between the left-leaning SDP and the agrarian-rooted Centre.
 "We do the jobs offered by the people's movement"
 Lintilä, meanwhile, professed to being pleased with returning to his former post of Minister of Economic Affairs, which he held from 2016 until last summer. The title is a relatively recent addition to Finnish cabinets, having only been coined in 2008. Kulmuni was the first woman to hold the post, and only had it for half a year.
 Asked if he would have wanted to carry on as finance minister, Lintilä declined to answer directly.
 "Here we always do the jobs offered by the people's movement. They are both excellent posts in which it is extremely interesting to work," he replied.
 Yle has learned that the switch came as a surprise to others in the party's leadership and ministerial group. Some 'key individuals' were first informed of the change just before the morning press conference.
 According to Kulmuni, the change "came at the proposal of the party chair".
 The other Centre ministers from the outgoing  Antti Rinne  government are to remain in their positions:  Antti Kaikkonen  as Defence Minister,  Jari Leppä  as Minister of Agriculture and Forestry and  Hanna Kosonen  as Minister of Science and Culture.
 Kosonen took over that job when  Annika Saarikko  went on family leave in August, two months after taking office. She is expected to return to the post in August 2020.
 Smaller parties likely to keep ministers
 Of the junior government partners, at least the Swedish People's Party plans to keep its two ministers in the same posts: party chair  Anna-Maja Henriksson  as Justice Minister and  Thomas Blomqvist  as Minister for Nordic Cooperation and Equality.
 The Greens and Left Alliance are to confirm later on Monday whether they will join the revamped government. Both have leadership meetings scheduled for 4pm.
 Both are expected to carry on with their current ministers. The cabinet has officially been a caretaker government since last Tuesday when  Rinne resigned as prime minister  after Kulmuni's Centre expressed a nebulously-worded lack of confidence in him following a protracted labour dispute.
 On Sunday evening the SDP decided to replace him as prime minister with  current Minister of Transport and Communications Sanna Marin , after she narrowly defeated parliamentary group chair  Antti Lindtman  in a party council vote.
 The party has nominated Rinne to become deputy speaker of parliament, replacing  Tuula Haatainen . She is expected to return to government as employment minister, taking over from  Timo Harakka , who in turn is to succeed Marin in the transport post.
 Rinne says he plans to remain party leader until next summer. He predicted on Sunday that Parliament will vote on his replacement on Tuesday. That is expected to be a rubber-stamp approval, as the five parties hold a strong majority.
 Approval on Tuesday would allow time for Marin to be appointed by the president and sworn in before Thursday, when she is to head to Brussels for a European Council summit. It effectively marks the end of Finland's six-month presidency of the body.

Centre Party swaps key ministers as Kulmuni consolidates power


Summary: Authorities believe members of a banned fascist group joined another march after their own event was blocked.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is looking into a demonstration by the far-right group Soldiers of Odin on Independence Day.
 The group – which bills itself as a street patrol but has been linked to various  violent incidents  – had a permit for the event on Friday evening.
 The NBI says it is considering whether there is reason to suspect that the demonstration was a continuation of the activities of an outlawed neo-Nazi group called the Nordic Resistance Movement (known in Finland as the PVL).
 Overlap between extremist groups
 Authorities note that the march featured some of the same banners and shouted slogans as PVL marches. Helsinki police said earlier that some former PVL members had taken part in the Soldiers of Odin demonstration.
 The NBI already has one preliminary investigation underway into the Soldiers of Odin, which has long been  linked to the PVL .
 The probe is looking into suspected continuation of illegal association activities. If the investigation into the Independence Day events turns up new indications of suspected crimes, that probe will be folded into the ongoing one.
 Police estimated that about 250 people took part in the Soldiers of Odin-led demonstration, while some 2,700 participated in a counter-demonstration called 'Helsinki without Nazis'. Another far-right organised demonstration, the 612 march, took its name from the date of Independence Day.
 PVL temporarily banned
 Last March, the Supreme Court imposed a temporary ban on PVL activities. It also granted the organisation permission to appeal a decision to shut it down completely. The ban remains in force pending a final decision by the high court.
 Both the Pirkanmaa District Court and Turku Appeals Court earlier ruled that the PVL and its backing group, known as Pohjoinen perinne ('Nordic Tradition') should be disbanded.
 The  Appeals Court argued  that it was in the general interest of society to close down the PVL due to its violent activities. In 2016, a  passerby died  after being attacked during a PVL demonstration in central Helsinki.
 Officials rejected a planned December 6 march by a group calling itself Kohti vapautta ('Toward Freedom'), declaring that it was a front for continuation of forbidden PVL operations.

Police suspect neo-Nazi infiltration of Soldiers of Odin march


Summary: Average response times ranged from five minutes in Helsinki to 71 minutes in Savukoski, Lapland.

A report on police response times from last year published by the National Police Board of Finland shows major regional differences on how quickly police respond to emergencies.
 According to the report, the fastest response rate is in Helsinki, where police arrived on average within five minutes of receiving the report of an urgent situation. The slowest response rate was in the municipality of Savukoski in eastern Lapland, where the average time was 71 minutes.
 Overall, the report found that in 2018 the police arrived at the scene of an emergency within 10 minutes in 70 percent of cases.
 However, in 14 municipalities the police’s response time to the most urgent category of emergencies was found to be over 40 minutes. Furthermore, the response to less urgent cases was also over 40 minutes in 56 municipalities.
 The national target response time is 10 minutes. Nearly 80 percent of Finland's population lives in an area where the police achieved this goal.
 Technology can help reduce burden on rural police
 Arto Karnaranta , deputy chief of the Oulu Police Department, told Yle the police will require more funding if they are to improve response times in the future.
 "We need 53 million euros to provide better services in rural areas. This is big money, in fact it is the annual budget of one medium-sized police station," Karnaranta said. "Waiting times are long and it is no comfort for people in places such as Savukoski."
 Karnaranta added that the way in which police are performing their duties has changed, as they are no longer able to respond to emergencies as fast as before -- and sometimes not at all.
 "We do not always attend the scene, as some tasks can also be done, for example, by giving advice on the phone," Karnaranta explained, and added that new technology could play a big part in rural policing in the future.
 "Drones have picture and sound connections and would also be able to deliver first aid. They are better equipped to carry out certain tasks," Karnaranta said.
 In addition to drones, other technologies, such as helicopters and robots, could be deployed in sparsely populated areas. These technologies could be further supported by mobile police stations, police service vehicles and part-time police officers.
 Karnaranta believes such innovations would ease the pressure on rural police, especially as he predicts the network of police stations will shrink in the future.
 More beat on the street
 According to National Police Commissioner  Seppo Kolehmainen , the responsibility for deciding on the number of police stations located around Finland lies with the Interior Ministry, and is out of the police's hands -- leading to what Kolehmainen calls an "ever more demanding environment" for the police to operate in.
 "We must prioritise our tasks all the time. Our main concern is to meet the needs of citizens, but in this current situation we cannot do any more," Kolehmainen said, adding that he would like to see an increase in the number of police officers.
 Kolehmainen cited a  report by the National Police Board last year  recommending the deployment of at least 7,850 police officers in Finland. In Kolehmainen's opinion, this would significantly improve police performance.
 "I would like to provide police services equally across the country, including in sparsely populated areas," Kolehmainen said.

Police response times up to an hour slower in rural areas


Summary: Exposure to healthy microbes from nature can help to establish stronger, more robust immune systems in young children.

At the Neulanen daycare in the Helsinki suburb of Myllypuro, a group of young children moves about nimbly in the forest gathering broken branches to build a fort. One of the kids comes up with the idea that the thin coat of snow covering a nearby boulder could double as a slide.
 The forested area in the middle of a block of flats is familiar to this group of 3- to-5-year-olds who have been spending more time this year in the local woods.
 "Here we climb trees and build bridges. In the forest, team spirit grows and children play more in larger groups," says early childhood educator  Karoliina Silander  who works at the Neulanen daycare.
 Neulanen is one of the daycare centres trialing a new programme launched in cooperation with the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) called "Luontoaskel hyvinvointiin" which roughly translates as "Natural steps to well-being."
 The pilot prompts young children to increase their daily interaction with nature. The children are also encouraged to eat a more plant-based diet, consider the impact of food waste, and learn about environmental responsibility and sustainability.
 "It’s important to start with children and youth because these types of lifestyle habits will affect their health for the rest of their lives," says senior researcher  Heli Kuusipalo  from the THL.
 In addition to select daycares and the THL, the Finnish Environment Institute and the Natural Resources Institute of Finland are part of the pilot.
 Exposure to good microbes
 Many children who grow up in the city these days have limited contact with nature. Yet frequent and abundant contact with nature and exposure to good microbes establishes stronger, more robust immune systems in children.
 "If a child has a strong immune system, it will boost their resistance to many communicable diseases," says Kuusipalo.
 According to the biodiversity hypothesis of health, reduced contact with the natural environment and biodiversity can weaken immunity and increase allergies and asthma, for example.
 "A good microbial environment is promoted by a diverse diet containing lots of vegetables, contact with animals and spending time in nature," says Kuusipalo.
 The pilot was trialed in nine trial daycare centres in Helsinki, Jyväskylä, Lappeenranta and Oulu this past autumn. Skin tissue samples were collected from the participating children in order to provide data on how microbial activity is affected by increased contact with nature, dirt and a plant-based diet.

New daycare pilot encourages more contact with nature


Summary: The installation of a new government is the main story on Tuesday.

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.

Tuesday's papers: Marin government news, al-Hol families, and free daycare


Summary: Less than two weeks after Sirpa Paatero resigned over the postal scandal, she’s back in government.

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."

Ousted minister Paatero picks up new post


Summary: If you manage to put money aside, expect inflation to deplete your savings over time, says investor Merja Mähkä.

This week our APN podcast talks about savings and investment with private investor and writer, Merja Mähkä. You can send comments or questions to WhatsApp on +358 44 421 0909, via our Facebook or Twitter accounts, or email us at yle.news@yle.fi.
 Finnish residents expect that they will continue to receive reasonable social benefits and good pensions but that could change and investing is one way to safeguard the future, says private investor and writer  Merja Mähkä .
 An investment blogger, Mähkä claims to have multiplied the value of her investment portfolio by a factor of five in seven years to reach 300,000 euros.
 Mähkä told Yle News' All Points North that many people consider investing out of concern for the future: they don’t know what will happen to their pensions, or what benefits will look like down the road.
 She pointed out that technological developments mean that many jobs are disappearing — while today it’s still normal to hold the same job for 10 years, that may not be the case in the near future.
 Difficult retirement
 More fragmented work means less personal income and lower tax contributions to pay for social programs. At the same time, declining pension contributions from a shrinking workforce also mean that the prospects will not be as rosy for future retirees. This is the negative case for investing, Mähkä said.
 "If you can save you should invest. If you can’t save then you should think again about where you can cut costs," Mähkä advised.
 She noted that saving alone is not future-proof and that nest eggs should be put to work to generate future returns.
 "If you can save, your savings won’t be worth much in 20 years because of inflation. If you’re in your 30s or 40s and have started to make money, you have 35 or 25 years to invest if you retire at 65," she added.
 Earlier this year, Mähkä co-authored a book, “ Become an investor in 7 days ”. It is a primer to help newbies get started investing in stock market equity and mutual funds for the first time. The book’s central thesis is that investing is not just for the very rich.
 Households choose investment over savings
 There may be other incentives for investing besides creating a pension pot.
 Economists have noted that income tax policy in Finland is such that capital income and dividends from shares carry a relatively lower tax rate than wages and salaries.
 Finland’s wealthiest people tend to earn more from investments than they do from salaried work. This means they pay less tax on their income than people whose only or main source of income is their wages.
 Overall, households in Finland seem to have got the message as they appear to be putting greater emphasis on investing than on saving.
 Data from Statistics Finland show the household savings rate in Finland at -0.8 percent for the period 2016 - 2018, the latest date for which data are available. A negative savings rate means that households have spent more than they have earned.
 However the latest statistical release suggests that while householders may not be saving, they are investing. The statistical agency said in September that households increased their net investments by mid-year by around four billion euros. This was driven mainly by banking more deposits as well as investments in shares in listed companies and mutual funds.
 Investing in freedom
 Investment evangelist Mähkä pointed out that people need not fear fluctuations in equity markets where stocks and shares are traded. She said that’s because so far at least, the overall trend has been for markets to rebound after suffering setbacks.
 "If you are buying stocks or investing in a fund you’ll be ok as long as you are in it for the long term," she commented, adding that even people who are closer to retirement should consider investing for their future.
 Mähkä tol APN that she invests, not because of fear of the future, but for positive reasons like the professional and financial freedom it provides.
 "Not necessarily full financial independence so I never have to work again. But the freedom to work only four days a week, for example. I wouldn’t mind a day a week writing books that don’t sell or even volunteering," she declared.

APN this week: "If you can save you should invest", says investment evangelist


Summary: Finland’s presidents currently serve for six years between elections.

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.

Uutissuomalainen: Parties not keen on shorter presidential terms


Summary: The new government led by Sanna Marin will face a confidence vote in Parliament next Tuesday.

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.

Finland’s record-young PM appointed, faces confidence vote next week


Summary: Foreign minister Pekka Haavisto is embroiled in a dispute with staff, politicians and the media over the Al-Hol refugee camp.

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.

Timeline: The foreign ministry flap over repatriating Finns from al-Hol refugee camp


Summary: Dubbed "a politician for the Instagram generation" Sanna Marin says she will be careful on social media in the future.

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.

"I won't change": Finland's new PM pledges to keep it real on social media


Summary: President Niinistö is reportedly calling for a decision about possible repatriation of Finns from a refugee camp in Syria.

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.

Wednesday papers: President on al-Hol families, new PM gets started, striking at full pay


Summary: Six months into an SDP-led coalition ministerial portfolios have been re-assigned or re-organised.

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.

Familiar faces in Finland's new government


Summary: The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment said that it will bankroll the 1.7-million-euro project.

Kansainväliset organisaatiot ja sopimukset

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 offers EU citizens free AI course to mark end of presidency