Fri, 28 Oct, 2016 12:04:47 AM FTimes - STT Report, Oct 28 ![]() Mika Lintilä has been selected as the new Minister of Economic Affairs on Thursday. Photo – Lehtikuva. Mika Lintilä was on Thursday selected to take over as the new economic affairs minister.
Lintilä replaces Olli Rehn who will join the Bank of Finland’s board at the start of next year.
The selection of Lintilä was decided on Thursday morning when the Suomen Keskusta (Centre Party) party council and parliamentary group converged.
Lintilä was also Prime Minister Juha Sipilä’s choice for the docket. A vote was decided during the meeting, because First Deputy Speaker of Parliament Mauri Pekkarinen had also received support for the post.
Lintilä defeated Pekkarinen by 37-33 votes.
Pekkarinen was proposed by lawmaker Aila Paloniemi. Both Pekkarinen and Paloniemi are from Jyväskylä.
A native of Central Ostrobothnian municipality of Toholampi, the 1966-born Lintilä is a fifth-term MP and has never before held a ministerial position.
“The tradition of the Centre Party entails voting. It was known in advance that there will be voting today,” said Sipilä.
Paloniemi justified her proposal of Pekkarinen based on his experience, and the fact that he was ready to assume the position immediately. Pekkarinen in his career has served as a minister in five different administrations and has held the economic affairs portfolio twice.
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