Petteri Orpo Elected as New Prime Minister of Finland
On Tuesday, members of the Finnish Parliament voted to elect Petteri Orpo, the leader of the Conservatives, as the Prime Minister who will govern the Scandinavian nation through a coalition that includes the far-right, according to the government website.
Mr. Orpo, who emerged victorious in the parliamentary elections in April, received 107 'for' votes and 81 'against'. Eleven MPs were absent.
Leading the 'National Coalition' party (a centre-right party), Petteri Orpo announced last week the formation of a coalition with the Finns Party, a far-right formation that came second in the parliamentary elections, along with two other small right-wing parties.
The four parties hold 108 out of 200 seats in Parliament.
On Friday, the new government unveiled its roadmap, promising a stricter immigration policy. This portfolio will be handed over to the Finns Party.
Residency permits granted under international protection will be temporary, with their duration equalling the minimum in place in the European Union, and family reunification will be made more difficult.
The government plan also entails a review of the social benefits system, aiming to create two different social security systems for immigrants on the one hand and permanent residents on the other.
In this way, the new Prime Minister ensured support for his stringent €6 billion austerity plan, his main campaign promise.
Apart from Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, the coalition receives seven ministers. Coalition ministers include: Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen, Defence Minister Antti Hakkanen, Municipal and Regional Affairs Minister Anna-Kaisa Ikonen, Social Security Minister Sanni Gran-Laasonen, and Climate and Environment Minister Kai Mykkänen.
Sari Multala and Mari-Liina Talvitie share the responsibilities of Minister of Culture and Science. Riikka Purra, the head of PS, will become the Minister of Finance.
Following the appointment, the new government is set to convene an organisational session. At the start of the meeting, ministers take an oath or give an official statement and judicial declaration if they have not done so before.
This session also decides on the distribution of functions among ministers working in the same ministry, on the composition of statutory ministerial committees, as well as on the Deputy Prime Minister and deputies of other ministers.
After the organisational meeting, the new cabinet visits the Presidential Palace for a welcoming visit. This is preceded by a farewell visit from the outgoing government to the President of the Republic.