Finland's first woman PM toppled after two months
Published:
23 June 2003 y., Monday
Finland was in political upheaval on Thursday after a Nordic version of Iraqgate brought down Anneli Jaeaetteenmaeki, the country's first ever woman prime minister, after just 63 days in power.
Fresh elections were seen as unlikely, and Jaeaetteenmaeki was expected to head an interim government before handing over to her successor, tipped to be current Defense Minister Matti Vanhanen, a veteran of Jaeaetteenmaeki's own Centre Party.
Jaeaeteenmaeki resigned suddenly late Wednesday amid claims she lied to parliament about her use of leaked secret government documents.
The crisis erupted after a presidential aide, Martti Manninen, said the prime minister had misled parliament when she claimed she had not requested summaries of classified documents he sent her ahead of the March elections. Just days before the vote, Jaeaetteenmaeki cited confidential foreign ministry documents to support her claim that then-prime minister Paavo Lipponen was supporting the United States over Iraq, in clear defiance of Finland's official stand of neutrality.
President Tarja Halonen accepted Jaeaetteenmaeki's resignation, but asked her and her team to stay on until a new administration was formed. Jaeaetteenmaeki's centre-left government, inaugurated on April 17 and Finland's first to be led by a woman, lasted only 63 days.
Šaltinis:
helsinki.com
Copying, publishing, announcing any information from the News.lt portal without written permission of News.lt editorial office is prohibited.
The most popular articles
The Prime Ministers have discussed the latest developments in Georgia as well as the September European Council dedicated for the matter.
more »
On 19 August, Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Petras Vaitiekūnas attended an extraordinary North Atlantic Council meeting, where he and other NATO Foreign Ministers discussed the situation in Georgia.
more »
Today, August 20, Wednesday, President Valdas Adamkus and President Valdis Zatlers of Latvia observe the Balts Will international coastal exercises of special operations forces.
more »
President Valdas Adamkus says that in the face of aggression against Georgia hasty calls are being made to change Lithuania’s defense strategy and return to its earlier conscription system.
more »
Aircraft of Lithuanian Air Force (LAF) C–27J Spartan took off from Tbilisi Airfield to evacuate 39 citizens of Lithuania from Georgia crisis region
more »
Today President of the Republic of Lithuania Valdas Adamkus participated in the meeting of presidents of the Lithuanian World Community and the World Lithuanian Youth Union.
more »
President of the Republic of Lithuania Valdas Adamkus has condemned the acts of vandalism committed against Lithuania‘s and Vilnius‘s Jewish community headquarters, and calls on law-and-order and special services of the country to identify the organisers and the perpetrators of these acts immediately.
more »
With deep concern and anxiety, we are observing the events in Georgia which at this moment is under intensive attacks by the army of the Russian Federation.
more »
According to the President of the Republic of Lithuania Valdas Adamkus, the international community should be worried about the military tension that has sparkled in Georgia.
more »