Summary:
According to Aamulehti, the major European parties are looking ahead to the European elections. While the Parliament’s biggest groups EPP, S&D and ECR have already appointed Spitzenkandidats, ALDE is taking a different road and waiting until February to appoint a group of Spitzenkandidats.

ALDE is gaining an ally in French President Emmanuel Macron’s Republique en Marche party. This makes Macron a potential kingmaker in ALDE. MEP Anneli Jäätteenmäki (ALDE) said that this is normal cooperation between two parties and ALDE will be an opposing force to the strongly conservative EPP.

Brexit will increase France’s power in the Parliament. EPP is expected to maintain its position as the biggest party in the Parliament, but ALDE could become the third biggest due to the decreasing power of the S&D group.

Media:  Aamulehti (E-edition, PDF)
Date: 19.11.2018
Journalist: Markku Uhari
Main source:

Summary:
Finnish Prime Minister Juha Sipilä and the European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker met in Helsinki last week, reported Verkkouutiset. The two held a broad debate on the development of the European Union and its future challenges.

The leaders also discussed Finland’s priorities for the Commission’s forthcoming five-year program and Finland’s forthcoming EU Presidency. The issues of the EU’s response to migration and international trade and the development of the EU’s internal market were raised too.

Mr Sipilä and Mr Juncker agreed that the strengthening of a statutory international trading system should continue to be the priority of the EU’s trade policy. « The EU must continue to play a strong role in the World Trade Organization’s reform. Likewise, we must endeavor to engage the United States and China in this process as well, » Mr Sipilä said.

Media:  Verkkouutiset.fi
Date: 8.11.2018
Journalist: Arno Rydman
Main source:

Summary:
Finland’s President Sauli Niinistö commented on the recent climate report by IPCC in a climate conference in Rovaniemi. The President pointed out that everyone in the world is in the same boat. If the temperature rises more than 1.5 celcius degrees, it will make life difficult.

He pointed out that the arctic region is one of the most vulnerable areas in the world, and if we lose it, we will lose the world.

The President said that he has noticed that there is increasing will among countries to start working against climate change. For example, few countries ignored the topic at the UN summit in New York and particularly the French President Emmanuel Macron actively brought up the topic in discussions.

President Niinistö added that there are means to prevent climate change, but the most important thing is that major countries are able to agree on measures. He also called for national measures and praised the fact that the Prime Minister has taken initiative to discuss climate change with all party chairs.

According to Prime Minister Juha Sipilä, the IPCC report’s message was clear: Finland must do more and faster to battle climate change, and not all means to reduce emissions will be easy in Finland. The Prime Minister pointed out that the decisions require courage, consensus and long-term approach from political decision makers.

President Niinistö thinks that the reduction of black carbon use is the fastest way to slow down climate change in the Nordic region. The discussions with Russia and the United States on the issue have developed well, and the problem is recognised in the Arctic Council.

To combat climate change, the Office of the President of the Republic of Finland has made a decision to reduce its carbon footpring to a third from the current figures by February 2024. The Office announced its plan with a press release, but it mentioned no means how it plans to reach the goal.

In the project, the Office and its staff will be helped by Climate Leadership Coalition. The initiative on the new climate programme came from President Niinistö. The previous programme dates back from 2016, and it is now used as a comparison year for the project’s results.

Media:  Lapin Kansa , Turun Sanomat , YLE Uutiset, YLE Uutiset
Date: 9.10.2018
Journalist:
Main source:

Summary:
An editorial in Keskisuomalainen discusses the Swedish government negotiations, which are expected to be long and difficult. Security policy was not an important issue in elections. Sweden’s foreign policy vis-à-vis Finland is unlikely to change even if the parties in the bloc support Sweden’s ascension into NATO.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Timo Soini (Blue Reform) believes that Finland and Sweden will continue to develop and intensify their relations because of the strategic interest they share.

Even the Sweden Democrats, who clash with other parties on many other issues, would like to deepen the defence cooperation between Sweden and Finland.

Media:  Keskisuomalainen (E-edition, PDF)
Date: 11.9.2018
Journalist:
Main source:

Summary:
Yle reports that the Social Democrats, Greens, Left Alliance and Swedish People’s Party are set to propose a motion of no-confidence in Foreign Minister Timo Soini (Blue Reform) when Parliament meets to consider the government’s budget proposal. The exact timing has not been confirmed.

The SDP parliamentary group leader Antti Lindtman has said that if a majority of legislators back the no-confidence motion, Mr Soini must resign. “In a world where women’s rights are increasingly challenged, it’s not right that Finland’s Foreign Minister is at odds with Finland’s official foreign policy,” said Mr Lindtman. He hopes that women in the government parties, National Coalition in particular, will back the vote.

Iltalehti has written an analysis piece about the issue, stating that it currently seems that there will be enough support for Mr Soini from the parties in the government. Mr Soini will need the support of at least 100 MPs, if everyone turns up. The opposition would need 26 MP votes to get the smallest possible majority.

Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Anne-Mari Virolainen criticized Mr Soini’s abortion statement straightforwardly and the chairman of the Coalition Party and Minister of Finance Petteri Orpo supported her comments publicly. The question that arises is how they could support Mr Soini after making these statements, writes Iltalehti.

Member of the board of the Social Democratic Youth Janne-Pekka Niemimäki and the chairwoman of Social Democratic Students in Oulu Miina-Anniina Heiskanen have penned a letter to the editor of Kaleva, criticising Mr Soini’s anti-abortion stance.

The authors argue that Finland’s work in promoting women’s rights has been indispensable, especially in developing countries, but Mr Soini’s statements on abortion distort the foreign policy line. They feel that Mr Soini’s statements are irresponsible.

Niemimäki and Heiskanen note that abortions are still performed in countries where abortion is banned or strictly regulated, but that it takes place in unhygienic conditions and without the required professional skills. According to the authors, Ms Soini does not seem to care about the consequences of illegal abortion operation.

A comment in Kansan Uutiset (KU) notes that Blue Reform has stated that the vote of no confidence reflects on the entire government’s confidence. The author states that Ministers Kai Mykkänen, Anna-Mari Virolainen and Annika Saarikko, have all condemned Mr Soini’s abortion comments.

Mr Soini defended himself in a blog and wrote that his stance on abortion had been known to everyone for a long time. The author of the comment in KU thinks that the Minister cannot publicly declare their own views if these are in conflict with Finland’s official position.

Media:  Iltalehti, Kaleva, Kansan Uutiset, Yle
Date: 11.9.2018
Journalist: Iltalehti: Marko-Oskari Lehtonen
Main source:

Summary:
Verkkouutiset summarises a blog entry by Foreign Minister Timo Soini on the electoral success of liberalism in Europe. He says the Anglophone world has shown what lies ahead.

The next European elections are in ten months and Europe is currently confused. Great political changes are possible, he assesses. Liberalism will win only if conservatives are asleep, Mr Soini predicts.

Media:  Verkkouutiset.fi
Date: 3.7.2018
Journalist:
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Summary:
Finland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Timo Soini writes in a guest column of Maaseudun Tulevaisuus about the European Union’s common agriculture policy (CAP) and the EU budget. He points out that Finland’s view is that a smaller EU needs to lead to a smaller budget.

However, now the Commission is planning to increase the overall budget but cut the agriculture budget. Mr Soini thinks that CAP needs to be simplified and national subsidies and coordination need to be promoted, but agriculture subsidies cannot be cut.

Securing the profitability of agriculture and Finnish, clean food, are significant themes in the next elections, he concludes.

Media:  Maaseudun Tulevaisuus
Date: 29.6.2018
Journalist: Timo Soini
Main source: