Vanhanen named new finance minister

The Suomen Keskusta (Centre Party of Finland) on Monday nominated Speaker of parliament Matti Vanhanen as the new finance minister of the country.

The Executive Committee and parliamentary group of the party at a meeting in the morning unanimously nominated Vanhanen, also a former prime minister and chief of the party to replace Katri Kulmuni.

Kulmuni resigned from the post of finance minister cum deputy prime minister on Friday following a controversy raised over a service procurement of about EUR 50,000 from a communications consultancy firm.

Vanhanen said the present economic situation of the country due to the coronavirus outbreak prompted him to accept the responsibility of the finance ministry.

He, however, expressed his unwillingness to become the deputy prime minister.

Vanhanen, aged 64, was the prime minister of the country and also the chairman of the Keskusta from 2003 to 2010.

He returned to parliament as a lawmaker in 2015 and elected the Speaker after the 2019 elections.

The party will now select a new Speaker of parliament and a new deputy prime minister.

Kulmuni resigned on Friday following a police investigation into the controversial procurement of services from the private consulting company Tekir which cost about 50,000 euros.

The company, Tekir, operated by communications consultant Harri Saukkomaa, coached Kulmuni in speeches, public appearances and one-on-one interviews.

The invoices for the training services were sent to the finance ministry and the economic affairs and employment ministry.

The police said they received two inquiries while four complaints were submitted to the chancellor of justice in this connection.