Finnish lawmakers elect new prime minister to head center-right coalition

Finnish lawmakers elect new prime minister

HELSINKI — Finland’s Parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly elected the new leader of the governing Center Party as the country’s prime minister, after Matti Vanhanen resigned last week.

Lawmakers approved Mari Kiviniemi in a 115-56 vote, with 29 absent or abstaining.

Kiviniemi’s appointment was expected after centrist politicians earlier this month chose her to replace Vanhanen as leader of Finland’s largest party, which holds the prime minister’s chair in the center-right coalition government.

“Naturally, I feel really great,” Kiviniemi told reporters after her election. “I must say I’m very happy.”

Kiviniemi, 41, is Finland’s second female prime minister. Anneli Jaatteenmaki held the seat in 2005 for two months but was forced to resign because she lied about leaking sensitive documents.

Kiviniemi, who has been a lawmaker for 15 years was made minister of public administration and local government in 2005. She named Tapani Tolli to succeed her later Tuesday.

Tolli, 59, a lawmaker since 2003, has been on several municipal councils and advisory boards to the police and the nuclear safety authority.

No other changes were announced by Kiviniemi in the 20-member Cabinet.

She said the policies of the four-party coalition would continue, with particular emphasis on the economy after Finland suffered heavily in the global economic downturn.

“In such an economic climate, the government must really be on the ball and be prepared to make even big decisions so that we can promote growth at the same time as securing a stable economy,” Kiviniemi said. “And, of course, then we have to ensure that people are not marginalized after the recession.”

Vanhanen, 54, has headed two coalitions since 2003. In December, he cited scheduled leg surgery as the main reason for his resignation, but Finnish media have speculated that alleged irregularities in party funding forced him to step down.

The widespread funding scandal has eroded the popularity of the government and the Center Party, which is now trailing in the polls behind its main government partner, the conservative National Coalition Party.

The party election of Kiviniemi, who has not been implicated in the irregularities that have torn the party, has given many centrists hope that she will unite the party and help reverse the trend of waning support ahead of next year’s parliamentary election.