Finland Times

Minister Kiuru (left), chairman of the SDP Jutta Urpilainen, Housing and Communications Pia Viitanen and Susanna Huovinen, Minister of the Social Democratic Party's National Executive meeting in Parliament on 17 May 2013. Photo -Lehtikuva

The Social Democratic Party (Suomen Sosialidemokraattinen Puolue) on Friday brought a few changes in the cabinet of the six-party alliance government.

 

SDP Chairperson and Finance Minister Jutta Urpilainen announced in the morning of inclusion of Susanna Huovinen and Pia Viitanen in the cabinet and exclusion of Education Minister Jukka Gustafsson and Social Service and Health Minister Maria Guzenina-Richardson from it.

 

The reshuffle also includes transfer of Communications Minister Krista Kiuru to the education ministry.

 

According to the new appointments, Susanna Huovinen will take over as Social Service and Health Minister in place of Guzenina-Richardson while Pia Viitanen will take charge of the Ministry of Housing and Communications in place of Krista Kiuru, who, in turn, replaces Jukka Gustafsson as the Education Minister.

 

The new portfolios of the ministers will come into effect from next week after approval of the President.

 

New Housing and Communications Pia Viitanen, and the new Minister Susanna Huovinen (right), the Social Democratic Party's National Executive meeting in Parliament on 17 May 2013. Photo -Lehtikuva

The SDP chairperson after announcing the cabinet reshuffle thanked the outgoing ministers for their credible performance throughout the difficult time the government had come through.

 

Jutta Urpilainen also appreciated Maria Guzenina-Richardson for piloting the elder people’s care law, saying she made a history by piloting that legislation and implementing a number of important projects.

 

She also said the process of reshuffle would continue to lend momentum to the government activities.

 

Urpilainen also acclaimed Education Minister Jukka Gustafsson for his contributions and said the teaching background of Krista Kiuru prompted the party to give her the portfolio of the education ministry.

 

Earlier on Thursday, the SDP informed Guzenina-Richardson and Gustafsson about the decision and invited Guzenina-Richardson to contest the European Parliament elections scheduled for 2014.

 

Susanna Huovinen, who enters the cabinet of the incumbent government for the first time, had held the office of the Minister for Transport and Communications during the first regime of Vanhanen for one and a half years.

 

Huovinen will be responsible for bringing reformation in the health sector as she has become reputed for her activities in early 2000, when she was responsible for social and healthcare services in Middle Finland.

 

‘She will bring with her a new perspective using her experiences of social and healthcare activities in the past,’ observed Urpilainen.

 

Former Minister of Education and Science Jukka Gustafsson in Parliament on 17 May 2013. Photo -Lehtikuva

Maria Guzenina-Richardson, however, is yet to take a decision about contesting the EU parliamentary polls.

 

Urpilainen expressed the hope that Guzenina-Richardson would tell the party about her decision after passing a short vacation with her family.

 

Both the outgoing ministers, however, expressed their dissatisfaction at the party decision.

 

Guzenina-Richardson admitted that she was shocked at hearing the party decision to drop her from the cabinet.

 

‘I got the news just yesterday, when I was in the compartment for ministers,’ said the outgoing health minister, adding that she, at the same time, felt relieved at the busy schedule of a minister being finally over. 

 

Maria Guzenina-Richardson arrives in social and health care reform working group meeting of parliament for 8 May 2013. Photo -Lehtikuva

She said in the past couple of years she had launched a reform programme in the health sector and her successor would reap the fruits at the end of the programme.

 

Gustafsson also said the decision made him upset as a number of his work remained still unfinished.

 

He pointed out his significant contributions to bringing pace in schools and development of the training and vocational education.