Kiviniemi government to seek more tax revenue

New Centre Party chairwoman settles into new post

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The Centre Party’s new chairwoman Mari Kiviniemi met with representatives of the other government parties, the National Coalition, the Green league, and the Swedish People’s Party on Monday morning.
      Kiviniemi was given a bouquet of flowers and a bottle of champagne by Swedish People’s Party Parliamentary group chairwoman Ulla-Maj Wideroos. The bottle was not opened, but over coffee, the party representatives agreed to hold what they called miniature government negotiations.
      In the discussions, which are to be held during the weekend, the government’s programme is to be examined with respect to economic policy. No major reshuffles are expected.
     
She would not say if the revamped government is planning to implement tax hikes during the remainder of the current electoral term, which has less than a year to go. However, she did say that the state needs more tax revenue.
      The government is also examining new ways to improve employment.
      Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen is expected to leave his resignation on Friday to make way for Kiviniemi. At that time any other reshuffling of the government’s ministerial group will be announced.
      When Kiviniemi takes the position of Prime Minister, she will vacate the post of Minister of Public Administration and Local Government. A likely candidate for that post is Tapani Tölli, the chairman of Parliament’s Administrative Committee.
     
The Centre Party’s new party secretary Timo Laaninen took up his post on Monday.
      He says that his greatest challenge is tackling the party’s economic structure. He does not expect to run into any great surprises.
     
Laaninen’s predecessor Jarmo Korhonen managed during his four years at the post to turn the party office into a secretive concentration of power that was independent of the party’s other bodies.
      A staff meeting was held at party headquarters on Monday. The event turned into a small-scale transition ceremony.
      A relieved Matti Vanhanen showed up, dressed in jeans, and asking for assistance from a computer expert.
      “Someone might find a way to find hundreds of my blog entries in some memory somewhere. I might want to use them in the future somehow. But if they are not to be found, there’s nothing immortal about them”, Vanhanen said.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Poll: Kiviniemi most popular candidate for Centre Party leadership (1.6.2010)
  Centre Party Secretary Korhonen under pressure in campaign finance furore (15.4.2010)
  Mari Kiviniemi chosen as new Centre Party leader and prospective PM (14.6.2010)
  Candidates for Centre Party leadership hold public debate in Sanoma House (10.6.2010)

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