Political fallout from municipal elections

Centre Party secretary could find position difficult after defeat at polls

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The executive of the Centre Party will be briefed by Party Secretary Jarmo Korhonen on Thursday on reasons for the party’s setbacks in Sunday’s municipal elections. The party’s chairman, Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen, has said that he sees no need for reshuffles in the government over the elections.
      The opposition Social Democratic Party also suffered considerable setbacks in the municipal elections. However, the SDP’s new leader, MP Jutta Urpilainen, does not appear to be under any great pressure to resign, although she has come in for criticism.
      Although the Green League was one of the big winners on Sunday, the party’s chairwoman, Minister of Labour Tarja Cronberg faces some pressure to give up the party leadership next year at the end of her second two year term.
     
Both Vanhanen and Korhonen have faced critical brickbats from within the Centre Party after the elections. It is most unlikely for Vanhanen to give up his spot in the party leadership over the matter.
      The position of party secretary Korhonen could be more precarious. He has come under pressure for failing to deliver on his goal of 25 per cent of the vote in the municipal elections. The party got just over 20 per cent of the vote.
      Vanhanen also said on Tuesday that there are no plans for a government reshuffle in the wake of the elections.
      Centre Party vice chairman Antti Rantakangas has put forward demands in the media for a reshuffle of the Centre’s ministerial portfolios in the current coalition government.
     
The Social Democratic Party lost votes particularly in its urban core areas, with the populist True Finns party reaping the benefits.
      While it is not likely that the party’s new chairwoman Jutta Urpilainen will be forced to resign, she has come under some criticism; MP Erkki Tuomioja, who lost to Urpilainen in the recent race for the party leadership, blamed her “dreamy fluff” for the party’s poor showing.
      Another Social Democratic MP, Liisa Jaakonsaari, has defended Urpilainen against what she has seen as “misogynist” attacks.
     
Although her party was one of the winners in the election, Green League chairwoman Tarja Cronberg is coming under pressure to give up her post at the end of her term in May next year.
      Former party leader Osmo Soininvaara said that the Greens should not go into the Parliamentary elections of 2011 with a party leader who will leave right after the elections. Soininvaara emphasises that he is not in the running for the post.
      The most likely successor is seen to be Anni Sinnemäki, chairwoman of the Greens’ Parliamentary group.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Centre Party regional leaders disappointed with party leadership (28.10.2008)
  MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS, SUNDAY 23:45: National Coalition Party largest party, True Finns big winners, gains for Greens (26.10.2008)

Helsingin Sanomat