Prime Minister to run for Nurmijärvi municipal council
Vanhanen's move seen as break with long-standing tradition
|
|
In a significant break with Finnish political tradition, Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen (Centre) has said that he would be a candidate in the municipal elections this autumn in the municipality of Nurmijärvi. Vanhanen has been a member of the Nurmijärvi Municipal Council since 1989.
Helsingin Sanomat has examined municipal election records from the time after the Second World War, and learned that no Finnish Prime Minister in office has run in a local council election in 60 years.
A number of politicians have been on local councils when they were named Prime Minister.
For instance, Harri Holkeri (Nat. Coalition) and Paavo Lipponen (SDP) were members of the Helsinki City Council when they were named Prime Minister, but they did not seek re-election while in office.
The office of Prime Minister is not a legal obstacle to working on a local council, but it has been generally seen that the high office means that the person in question would have little time to devote to municipal affairs.
Helsingin Sanomat
|
| 24.8.2004 - TODAY |
 Prime Minister to run for Nurmijärvi municipal council |
|
