Petteri Orpo is Finland's new prime minister

21 Jun 2023 10:24am

National Coalition Party chair Petteri Orpo addresses a his press conference at the Finnish Parliament in Helsinki, Finland, on June 20, 2023, after the parliament elected him as a new Prime Minister. Finland's parliament on June 20, 2023 elected conservative Petteri Orpo as Prime minister at the head of a four-party coalition including the far-right Finns Party which plans a major crackdown on immigration. Petteri takes over from Sanna Marin, whose Social Democrats finished third in the election behind Orpo's National Coalition Party (NCP) and the Finns Party. (Photo by Antti Aimo-Koivisto / Lehtikuva / AFP) / Finland OUT

ATHENS, Greece - Petteri Orpo, the leader of Finland’s National Coalition Party, has become the country’s new prime minister after approval from parliament and the president on Tuesday.

Orpo will lead the right-wing coalition consisting of the National Coalition Party, the far-right Finns Party, the Swedish People’s Party and the Christian Democrats, Anadolu Agency reported, citing public broadcaster YLE.

The Cabinet, consisting of eight lawmakers from the National Coalition Party, seven from the Finns Party and four from the Swedish People’s Party and the Christian Democrats, held its first meeting on Tuesday, it added.

The government’s programme indicates that the country will pursue right-wing economic and other polices, with proposed changes to immigration laws, according to the broadcaster.

Orpo has said that the new government would invest in improving education, combating climate change, and the safety of the citizens.

In the elections held on April 2, the National Coalition Party received 20.8 per cent of the vote, followed closely by the Finns Party with 20.1 per cent.

The Swedish People's Party and the Christian Democrats both right-wing parties, won 4.3 per cent and 4.2 per cent of the vote, respectively. - BERNAMA-ANADOLU AGENCY