Orpo becomes PM as right-wing alliance govt takes office

Chairperson of conservative Kansallinen Kokoomus (National Coalition Party-NCP) Petteri Orpo on Tuesday has become the Prime Minister of Finland as the four-party right-wing government took office.

Three other components of the government are radical rightist Perussuomalaiset (Finns Party), Suomenruotsalainenkansanpuolue (Swedish People’s Party of Finland-RKP) and SuomenKristillisdemokraatit (Christian Democrats of Finland-CD).

The President of appointed Finland’s 77th Government, led by Orpo and at the same time released the outgoing Prime Minister Sanna Marin’s government.

The government headed by Orpo consisted of 19 ministers

Kokoomus got eight ministers including the Prime Minister, the Perussuomalaiset got seven ministers, RKP got two permanent and one temporary ministers and the CD got one permanent and one temporary ministers.

In its first plenary session on Tuesday the government decided on the division of responsibilities among the ministers, the composition of the ministerial committees and working groups, and the deputising arrangements for the ministers.

The Orpo Government also gave the Government Programme as a statement to Parliament.

Perussuomalaiset leader Riikka Purra, was appointed as Finance Minister and also to deputise for the Prime Minister.

The other ministers of the new government cabinet are Anders Adlercreutz, Minister for European Affairs and Ownership Steering, Elina Valtonen, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ville Tavio, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, Leena Meri, Minister of Justice, Mari Rantanen, Minister of the Interior, Antti Häkkänen, Minister of Defence, Anna-Kaisa Ikonen, Minister of Local and Regional Government, Anna-Maja Henriksson, Minister of Justice, Sari Multala, Minister of Science and Culture, Sandra Bergqvist, Minister of Youth, Sport and Physical Activity, Sari Essayah, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Lulu Ranne, Minister of Transport and Communications, Arto Satonen, Minister of Employment, Vilhelm Junnila, Minister of Economic Affairs, Kaisa Juuso, Minister of Social Affairs and Health, Sanni Grahn-Laasonen, Minister of Social Security and Kai Mykkänen, Minister of the Environment and Climate,

News agency Xinhua adds: Orpo said in his speech during the government's welcome visit to the presidential palace that the Finnish people have "voted for change."

The government parties are united in their view of the state of public finances, he said, adding: "We must tighten our belts."

Born in November 1969, Orpo was first elected as a member of Parliament in 2007. Before serving as prime minister, he held three different positions as a member of two governments, including minister of Agriculture and Forestry, minister of the Interior, and minister of Finance. He was elected leader of the National Coalition Party at the party conference in the summer of 2016.

Earlier on June 16, the four political parties announced its programme to reshape economy and tighten immigration laws.

The ruling parties also decided to cut more than four billion euros during its regime, which was strongly criticized by the opposition parties.

Several hundreds of people on June 18 staged demonstration in Helsinki protesting against the tightening immigration policy published by Kansallinen Kokoomus (National Coalition Party-NCP) led four-party alliance.