”Does a party advocating for an EU exit belong in the Government?” – Coalition veteran gives harsh assessment

Summary:
MP Pertti Salolainen, Vice-chair of the Finnish Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, urges Prime Minister Juha Sipilä to interfere in the Finns Party’s demands of an EU referendum in Finland. The collapse of the Finns Party in the municipal elections has started a discussion of an EU exit that endangers Finnish foreign policy and security and hurts Finland’s international image. Mr Salolainen says a party advocating for an EU exit has no place in the Government. He thinks it is clear that there will be no referendum and the discussion only serves the purposes of the next parliamentary elections.

More than 80 per cent want Sauli Niinistö to run in presidential election

Summary:
82 per cent of Finns want President Sauli Niinistö to run in the presidential election next year, a survey by news site Verkkouutiset shows. Mr Niinistö’s popularity was even higher among men, of whom 86 per cent wanted him to run. 78 per cent of women supported Mr Niinistö. According to the survey, the majority of Finns are satisfied with Mr Niinistö’s presidency. Mr Niinistö has not yet told whether he will run in the election next year.

Media:  Iltalehti
Date: 13.4.2017
Journalist: STT
Main source: –

Tiilikainen: EU’s LULUCF proposal would restrict the use of wood too much – “Forests cannot be just a passive lump”

Summary:
Minister of Agriculture and the Environment Kimmo Tiilikainen thinks the European Commission’s proposal on the LULUCF sector is too focused on a climate viewpoint. Forest policy is also based on the need to produce material for the industry. Forests are a source of employment and are important for environmental diversity and social well-being. He suggests that wood-based products should have their own category in carbon sink calculations. Current comparison levels may create restrictions to bioeconomy and do not encourage long-term use of wood. Forests should be an active instrument of climate policy, he says.

Pertti Salolainen: Suggestions about EU referendum hurt Finland’s image

Summary:
Vice-Chair of the Finnish Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, MP Pertti Salolainen criticises suggestions about holding an EU referendum in Finland as irresponsible and petty party politics. This talk is contrary to Finland’s national interests and hurts Finland’s image internationally, he says. Membership in the EU has been and is important for Finland both economically and in terms of security policy. Finland must be one of those countries that strengthen the EU’s unity, security, and internal markets, Mr Salolainen maintains.

Media:  Verkkouutiset / Nykypäivä
Date: 13.3.2017
Journalist: Siina Ekberg
Main source: MP Pertti Salolainen, Vice-Chair of the Finnish Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee

Can Finland receive fines from EU for “excess logging”? – forest war on carbon sinks continues

Summary:
The European Parliament’s environment committee is currently discussing a Commission proposal that would punish Finland for excess logging if it reduces the carbon sink of forests. Rapporteur, MEP Norbert Lins (EPP) suggests that the comparison years should be 2000-2012 while MEP Nils Torvalds (ALDE) has proposed that the comparison should be based on a continuing average of three years. MEP Miapetra Kumpula-Natri (S&D) notes that the Parliament’s committees have differing views on the matter. Some understand the Finnish use of wood well while others would reduce it even more than the Commission.

Running for the Finns party chair, Sampo Terho suggested EU referendum in Finland – ”It may be a deal-breaker”

Summary:
MP Sampo Terho, Chair of the Finns Party’s parliamentary group, has announced he will run for the chairmanship of the party, reports Helsingin Sanomat. Mr Terho’s positions on the EU are stark. He says he is open to the possibility that the party will demand an EU referendum in Finland. Mr Terho noted that the issue may even be a deal-breaker. He explained that there is a generation of Finns who were not eligible to vote on Finland’s EU membership in 1994. Mr Terho said he will also focus on the unfair implementation of the EU’s internal relocation of immigrants.

Prime Minister’s inner circle has strong ties to company that benefited from export promotion trip

Summary:

Finnish newspaper Iltalehti has revealed that Finnish Prime Minister Juha Sipilä promoted the business of a company, Chempolis, his children have a stake in during an export promotion trip to India in February 2016. Mr Sipilä commented the news to Iltalehti by saying that the business delegation taking part in export promotion trips is always assembled by SME export promotion organisation Finpro and the Prime Minister has no role in the process.

Media:  Kansan Uutiset

Date: 10.1.2017

Journalist: Johan Alén

Main source: Prime Minister Juha Sipilä

Anne Berner’s plans to incorporate roads fascinates companies

Summary:

Anne Berner, the Finnish Minister of Transport and Communications, wants to incorporate the state’s roads, railways and waterways starting from 2018. According to Ms Berner’s plan, the new traffic network company would sell the right of use of roads at wholesale price to so-called operators who then would sell mileage to motorists in the form of different kinds of service packages. The plan is closely followed in companies and, for example, insurance companies are interested in selling mileage as well as using the data gathered from cars.

Media:  Helsingin Sanomat 

Date: 8.1.2017

Journalist: Anni Lassila

Main source: –