Finnish Leader Faces Calls to Quit Over Role in Postal Dispute
Finnish Leader Faces Calls to Quit Over Role in Postal Dispute
(Bloomberg) -- Calls for the resignation of Finnish Prime Minister Antti Rinne grew louder on Friday as opposition parties accused him of not speaking the truth to parliament.
According to opposition National Coalition Party leader Petteri Orpo, Rinne gave lawmakers “incorrect information” about the government’s role in wage talks at the state-owned postal service.
“The situation is serious,” Orpo said. “He should resign.”
That call was echoed by Jussi Halla-aho, who leads the nationalist Finns party, while Sari Essayah of the Christian Democrats said her party “wants answers.”
Rinne, a former trade union leader, is accused by Orpo of breaking with tradition by getting involved in a labor dispute at Posti Group Oyj and then misleading parliament about it.
The 57-year-old leader of the Social Democrats denies the charges.
The spat has led to the resignation of Sirpa Paatero, the minister in charge of state-owned companies. But the opposition says Paatero may have just been sacrificed to protect Rinne.
“He’s trying to cover up his own mistakes by removing one minister,” Orpo said.
Earlier this week, three opposition groups filed a no-confidence motion against the government, questioning Rinne and Paatero’s role in the controversy. The motion will be discussed in parliament on Tuesday. The government would only be overturned in an eventual confidence vote if 17 lawmakers from government parties voted with the opposition.
The government’s junior partners, the Center and the Greens, are key, with 31 and 20 lawmakers, respectively.
“If none of the coalition members withdraw their support, the government can continue,” said Heikki Patomaki, professor of political science at the University of Helsinki.
In 2003, Anneli Jaatteenmaki was forced to resign after 69 days as prime minister after being accused of lying to the parliament about how she had acquired confidential Foreign Ministry documents she had used to win the election.
To contact the reporters on this story: Kati Pohjanpalo in Helsinki at kpohjanpalo@bloomberg.net;Leo Laikola in Helsinki at llaikola@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Tasneem Hanfi Brögger at tbrogger@bloomberg.net, Nick Rigillo
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