Henriksson to quit as RKP Chair as party´s popularity falls

Chairperson of the Suomenruotsalainenkansanpuolue (Swedish People’s Party of Finland-RKP) and Minister of Education Anna-Maja Henriksson on Tuesday announced that she would not contest for the party leadership in the upcoming council scheduled to be held in June.

Henriksson made the announcement when her party was going through severe popularity crisis, although she denied that the popularity was not the reason behind her decision.

“I have reached to the decision as I feel that I will not run for the party leadership in the future. I am happy to pass the baton forward. I am very proud of everything we have achieved together. Now is the time to turn the page and move forward together,” said Henriksson.

According to recent polls, the popularity of RKP dropped to 3.6 percent, which is ever lowest in the last 33 years.

The popularity of the party started to fall following joining the right-wing four-party alliance government despite strong debate among the lawmakers.

Henriksson was re-elected as Chairperson of the RKP at a party convention held in Tampere in June 2023.

Henriksson, also former Minister of Justice has been leading the RKP, which profiles itself as a national liberal alternative, instead of promoting only the interests of the Swedish speaking minority in Finland since 2016.

She became the Justice Minister in 2011 and continued until 2015 and again took over the charge of the ministry in mid-2019.

She took over as the Minister of Education of the four-party alliance government led by conservative Kansallinen Kokoomus (National Coalition Party-NCP) in June 2023.