Familiar names lead Finnish candidate lists

Parties show they are taking the elections seriously by putting a number of politically experienced people on the lists.

Finnish political parties have put some familiar names on the top of their European Parliament candidate lists. Among them is Olli Rehn, European commissioner for economic and monetary affairs and the euro. Sitting cabinet ministers also feature on the list.

Rehn is one of the candidates of Centern, a centrist party which is part of the liberal ALDE group in the European Parliament. Rehn was hoping to become the liberal’s nominee for the position of European Commission president, a post that went to ALDE president Guy Verhofstadt.

Three current ministers appeared on the Finnish candidate lists. Alexander Stubb, minister for European affairs and foreign trade, is in the eighth spot for the centre-right Kansallinen Kokoomus (National Coalition Party, NCP). Stubb was an MEP from 2004 to 2008 when he was appointed as a minister.

Henna Virkunnen, minister of public administration and local government, is standing as a candidate on behalf of NCP. Päivi Räsänen, the minister of interior, is listed for the centrist party Kristillisdemokraatit.

Also two former ministers for the government are listed. Merja Kyllonen served as a minister for transport on behalf of the left Vasemmistoliitto party and Heidi Hautala held the international development post of Vihreä liitto, part of the Green group in the European Parliament. Hautala was a member of the European Parliament for a total of ten years. 

The number of politically experienced people on the lists shows that the parties want to “take the elections seriously”, said Taru Tujunen, party secretary of the NCP. Out of Finland’s 13 sitting MEPs, eleven will seek re-election.

Earlier this month Jyrki Katainen, the Finnish prime minister and leader of the NCP, announced that he would step down in a bid to be selected for an international post. A new party leader, who will also be the next prime minister, will be chosen in June during a party meeting.