Finnish Politics

Finland: Which Marxist will the SDP choose as the next PM……?


 

Crash and burn awaits for whoever takes over…

Finland’s next PM: Will Sanna Marin or Antti Lindtman take over as premier?

 

“Marin leads with ministerial experience,” is the leader headline in main daily Helsingin Sanomat (HS), which goes on in its editorial to outline the reasons that Sanna Marin, 34, will likely become Finland’s next prime minister in the wake of former PM Antti Rinne’s dramatic resignation on Tuesday following the fallout from the postal workers’ recent industrial action.

 

“Marin is the favourite for the next SDP prime ministerial candidate,” writes HS, citing its own poll carried out on Tuesday evening. “Thirty percent of respondents supported Minister of Transport and Communications Marin, while MP and chairman of the Social Democratic Parliamentary group Antti Lindtman received only 12 percent support.”

 

HS writes that Marin is former PM Rinne’s choice of the two potential candidates. Marin also has previous prime ministerial experience, as she took over for former PM Rinne when he was on sick leave last winter.

 

HS goes onto say that while Lindtman is only 37, voters may feel that he’s long been in politics although in reality this is only his third term as an MP. A schism arose between Rinne and Lindtman during the 2017 SDP party political conference, when there were suggestions that Lindtman would challenge Rinne’s position as chair, but that didn’t happen.

 

Furthermore, writes HS, last spring Rinne offered Lindtman the Labour Minister portfolio, which Lindtman turned down. This is an issue that will no doubt arise in the contest for the prime ministerial role.

 

HS concludes in its editorial that the competition is down to the fine line between an experienced minister and an ungrateful political portfolio rejector.

 

YLE.

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