Ohisalo to quit as Vihreä Liitto Chair

The Chairperson of Vihreä Liitto (Green Party), Maria Ohisalo on Tuesday announced that she would not continue as the party chief after the next party council scheduled for June.

Ohisalo, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change of the outgoing five-party alliance government made the announcement from a press conference in the morning following the debacle of the party in the parliamentary polls held on April 2 where her party secured 13 seats, which is seven seats lower compared to the previous elections.

“After the election defeat, it is important that a new leadership will take over and recover the party. I will not be available for the next term as the chairperson of the party,” Ohisalo said at the press conference, adding that the party people have the strength to make progress, which is the most important thing.

Ohisalo also took the full responsibility for the election result, which she termed as a major debacle.

She, however, said that she would continue as the Chairperson until the next council of the party scheduled to be held in June and assured to extend all-out cooperation to her successor.

The Vihreä Liitto leader also expressed her willingness to participate in the negotiation talks to form a new government, if the government functions as per the needs of the country properly.

"The Vihreä Liitto will be there (in the government), if the upcoming government takes policies that do not cut a single euro from education, do not compromise with climate action and do not increase inequality," Ohisalo added.

Ohisalo has been discharging duty as the Chairperson of Vihreä Liitto from June 2019.

Earlier in this month, the outgoing Prime Minister, Sanna Marin announced that she would not continue as the Chairperson of the Suomen Sosialidemokraattinen Puolue (Social Democratic Party of Finland-SDP) after the next party council.