Summary:
Finland’s Minister of Finance Petteri Orpo discusses the splitting of the Finns party in a Helsingin Sanomat interview. He says that Finland must now be particularly active in EU policy, because Germany and France want to deepen integration. This would not have been possible with Jussi Halla-aho’s Finns party in government. For Orpo, patriotism means making decisions that are in the best interest of the nation, which includes being active EU member and working to develop the union. Minister of European Affairs Sampo Terho, part of the splinter group, has spoken about a potential EU referendum. According to Orpo, this will stop now.

Summary:
Prime Minister of Finland Juha Sipilä has expressed his support for EU defence cooperation in his meeting with EU Foreign Affairs High Representative Federica Mogherini, who thanked Finland for being active in developing the EU defence cooperation. Juha Sipilä says that the Finnish stance is very ambitious and that Finland hopes to progress also in the area of structural cooperation. Sipilä also highlighted the importance of good communication with France, whose President Emmanuel Macron also supports developing defence cooperation.

Media:  Verkkouutiset / Nykypäivä
Date: 15.6.2017
Journalist: Ilkka Ahtokivi
Main source: Prime Minister of Finland Juha Sipilä

Summary:
Helsingin Sanomat writes that combining the national parliamentary and EU parliamentary elections in Finland will probably not succeed, because the working group consisting of the Party Secretaries of Finnish parliamentary parties could not reach agreement regarding combining the two elections in 2019. A majority of Party Secretaries supported combining the two elections if the European Parliament elections are held in May at the latest. However, the Social Democratic Party, the Swedish People’s Party and the Christian Democrats were opposed to the idea. Consequently, the working group handed the issue over for the Minister for Justice Antti Häkkänen to consider.

Summary:
Three professors of Political Science and Economics assess the first two years of the Sipilä Government in Ilta-Sanomat. In economic policy and competitiveness, the decisions have been in the right direction. In education, the Government has not kept its promises. In EU policy, Prime Minister Sipilä has been fairly silent, and Finland’s line in foreign and security policy remains unclear. Domestic policy has taken precedence, although Foreign Minister Timo Soini has done a good job.

Media: Ilta-Sanomat
Date: 29.5.2017
Journalist: Outi Kokko
Main source: n/a

Summary:
Demokraatti reports that President Sauli Niinistö announced today he will run for a second term. He noted in his statement that his cooperation with the Government has worked well in European policy. He outlined recent developments in foreign policy and remarked that European thinking has been shaken last week. The EU got a serious wake-up call on how much the Union or the member states must take responsibility for protecting Europe. Security is a primary concern for all unions, states, and alliances. The EU is now clearly headed towards strengthening common foreign, security, and defence policy, Mr Niinistö noted.

Summary:
Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Kai Mykkänen rejects Minister of European Affairs Sampo Terho’s idea of holding an EU referendum in Finland. Mr Terho argued that his generation did not have a chance to vote on the matter. Mr Mykkänen noted that we cannot have every generation voting for EU membership – Finland is permanently part of Europe. Mr Mykkänen says he hopes that ministerial-level office-holders did not speak like this. Mr Mykkänen regrets that a more positive attitude towards integration has not spread to Finland.

Media:  Verkkouutiset / Nykypäivä
Date: 17.5.2017
Journalist: Alberto Claramunt
Main source: Kai Mykkänen, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development

Summary:
The Finnish Parliament today discussed a contentious report by the Parliament’s Commerce Committee on the registration of shares in central securities depositories, reports Helsingin Sanomat. The report supports the Government’s proposal according to which shares by Finnish companies can be included in foreign book entry systems. The law allows the anonymous ownership of shares abroad through a nominee register. The law will amend the Finnish legislation to comply with the EU’s central securities depositories regulation. Banning nominee registration abroad has been interpreted as not possible as Finland cannot interfere in another EU country’s legislation, noted many MPs during the discussion.

Summary:
Centre Party and National Coalition Party representatives say the Government’s EU policies will not change with the appointment of Finns Party MP Sampo Terho as Minister for European Affairs. Mr Terho has previously brought up the idea of an EU referendum in Finland. Prime Minister Juha Sipilä and Minister of Finance Petteri Orpo say the Government is committed to the government programme which states that Finland is an active member of the EU.

Media:  Iltalehti
Date: 29.4.2017
Journalist: STT
Main source: Prime Minister Juha Sipilä and Minister of Finance Petteri Orpo