Piqued PM keen to explain press rumours surrounding his divorce
Vanhanen waiting for a quiet moment for announcement on Presidential elections
Matti Vanhanen
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Tanja Karpela
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Paula Lehtomäki
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As rumours swell this way and that in the tabloid media, a thoroughly piqued Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen (Centre) stated on Thursday that he wants to give a full public account of the writing and discussion that has been directed at his person in recent days, following the announcement of the break-up of his marriage.
Vanhanen is particularly keen to allay concerns among Centre Party members about the recent spate of lurid press stories.
Vanhanen commented briefly on his wishes at a meeting of the Centre Party steering group.
The Centre Party faithful are keen to hear about the background to the splashy news items. For example, they would like to know whether Vanhanen did, as alleged, spend some late-night hours in a hotel room with the current Minister of Culture Tanja Karpela (Centre) at a party executive committee function in Tampere some six years ago.
The subject has been widely reported in the evening tabloids and in some gossipy weekly magazines. More is likely to follow this weekend in those weekly publications that focus on personalities and celebrities.
At the steering group meeting on Thursday, Vanhanen had hinted at the possibility of his arranging a formal press conference some time in the near future to address the present discussion about his person.
He seemed calm, but there was no mistaking the annoyance he felt about the writings. As the day wore on, his pique had if anything grown stronger, and he accused the media of interfering in what was already a painful divorce matter.
Vanhanen, who has been widely tipped to become the Centre Party's candidate in the 2006 Presidential Elections, reportedly told the steering group members to read very carefully the comments made by Karpela about the article in the weekly magazine Seura that related to the alleged night in the hotel.
Karpela has noted that Vanhanen was simply a party colleague, and that a hotel room was as good a place as any also to set about improving the world.
Vanhanen did not face any questions from the members on Thursday. However, Centre Party Secretary Eero Lankia feels the party's supporters should get answers "on the truth of the rumours that are going around".
"People expect Vanhanen to say something in his own time, if he has something to say", commented Lankia.
The roiling discussion about Vanhanen seems to be growing like mushrooms after rain. Many commentators believe that the debate about the Prime Minister's personal life is starting to have a possible impact on Vanhanen's Presidential campaign, if he chooses to run.
On Thursday it looked increasingly likely that Vanhanen's announcement about his intentions would be postponed until the last moment before the Centre Party executive committee meets in Riihimäki at the end of next week.
This is because Vanhanen has no wish to face unresolved questions about his personal life in the hours immediately after announcing his candidacy, since this would only hurt the campaign before it got off the ground.
Matters have spiralled since the announcement last week that Matti Vanhanen and his wife Merja Vanhanen would be divorcing after 20 years of marriage.
Merja Vanhanen stressed at the time that there was no third party involved, but this has not hampered speculation in tabloids such as Ilta-Sanomat and Iltalehti that the break-up has a different, more colourful script.
On a separate issue, Vanhanen commented on Thursday that the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Paula Lehtomäki (Centre) was able herself to determine the length of her autumn maternity leave. If she decides she needs no more than two months away from work, then her tasks can be taken on by a sitting member of the present government. If she intends to take a longer leave, a replacement will be appointed.
Current speculation has put forward the name of Helsinki Centrist Mari Kiviniemi as the most likely candidate, but her chances are slightly reduced by the fact that there are already two Centre Party ministers from the capital area.
Within the Centre Party Parliamentary wing, the name of Katri Komi from Southern Savo has also been put forward. She told Helsingin Sanomat on Thursday that she would be available if asked.
Vanhanen is particularly keen to allay concerns among Centre Party members about the recent spate of lurid press stories.
Vanhanen commented briefly on his wishes at a meeting of the Centre Party steering group.
The Centre Party faithful are keen to hear about the background to the splashy news items. For example, they would like to know whether Vanhanen did, as alleged, spend some late-night hours in a hotel room with the current Minister of Culture Tanja Karpela (Centre) at a party executive committee function in Tampere some six years ago.
The subject has been widely reported in the evening tabloids and in some gossipy weekly magazines. More is likely to follow this weekend in those weekly publications that focus on personalities and celebrities.
At the steering group meeting on Thursday, Vanhanen had hinted at the possibility of his arranging a formal press conference some time in the near future to address the present discussion about his person.
He seemed calm, but there was no mistaking the annoyance he felt about the writings. As the day wore on, his pique had if anything grown stronger, and he accused the media of interfering in what was already a painful divorce matter.
Vanhanen, who has been widely tipped to become the Centre Party's candidate in the 2006 Presidential Elections, reportedly told the steering group members to read very carefully the comments made by Karpela about the article in the weekly magazine Seura that related to the alleged night in the hotel.
Karpela has noted that Vanhanen was simply a party colleague, and that a hotel room was as good a place as any also to set about improving the world.
Vanhanen did not face any questions from the members on Thursday. However, Centre Party Secretary Eero Lankia feels the party's supporters should get answers "on the truth of the rumours that are going around".
"People expect Vanhanen to say something in his own time, if he has something to say", commented Lankia.
The roiling discussion about Vanhanen seems to be growing like mushrooms after rain. Many commentators believe that the debate about the Prime Minister's personal life is starting to have a possible impact on Vanhanen's Presidential campaign, if he chooses to run.
On Thursday it looked increasingly likely that Vanhanen's announcement about his intentions would be postponed until the last moment before the Centre Party executive committee meets in Riihimäki at the end of next week.
This is because Vanhanen has no wish to face unresolved questions about his personal life in the hours immediately after announcing his candidacy, since this would only hurt the campaign before it got off the ground.
Matters have spiralled since the announcement last week that Matti Vanhanen and his wife Merja Vanhanen would be divorcing after 20 years of marriage.
Merja Vanhanen stressed at the time that there was no third party involved, but this has not hampered speculation in tabloids such as Ilta-Sanomat and Iltalehti that the break-up has a different, more colourful script.
On a separate issue, Vanhanen commented on Thursday that the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Paula Lehtomäki (Centre) was able herself to determine the length of her autumn maternity leave. If she decides she needs no more than two months away from work, then her tasks can be taken on by a sitting member of the present government. If she intends to take a longer leave, a replacement will be appointed.
Current speculation has put forward the name of Helsinki Centrist Mari Kiviniemi as the most likely candidate, but her chances are slightly reduced by the fact that there are already two Centre Party ministers from the capital area.
Within the Centre Party Parliamentary wing, the name of Katri Komi from Southern Savo has also been put forward. She told Helsingin Sanomat on Thursday that she would be available if asked.
Helsingin Sanomat