Finland once again has five women in the hard core of government power.
The photograph that went around the world in December 2019, after the formation of a coalition government led by five women from different parties, had become obsolete since the leader of the Center Party Kaltri Kulmuni was forced to resign in June due to a scandal of misuse use of public funds.
Kulmuni, then Finance Minister, was replaced by former Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen and she continued to act as leader of the Center Party (Keskusta) from outside the Government.
Vanhanen, who did not fit so well with the image of the feminist government promoted by Sanna Marin's cabinet, took a lower profile focused on budgeting, away from group photos.
A new picture
The change began to take shape in early August, when Annikka Saarikko, who had been on maternity leave, returned to the government and replaced Hanna Kosonen as Minister of Science and Culture.
Saariko's return to front-line political work in government and her election last Saturday as the new leader of Keskusta allows the government to resume its image campaign based on five powerful women - all party leaders - heading key cabinet portfolios.
Uusi viisikko oli koolla tänään ensimmäistä kertaa Kesärannassa. #hallitus pic.twitter.com/v5cHLDWk5S
— Valtioneuvosto | Statsrådet (@valtioneuvosto) September 7, 2020
The new picture of the five leaders of the parties that make up the government coalition was taken on Monday, 7 September at the official residence of the Prime minister in Kesäranta. It was later tweeted by the Finnish Government's official account and also by the Minister of the Interior, Maria Ohisalo.
Pictured from left to right are Minister of Justice Anna-Maja Henriksson (Swedish People's Party), Prime Minister Sanna Marin (SDP), Minister of Science and Culture Annikka Saarikko (Center Party), Minister of the Interior Maria Ohisalo (Green League) and Minister of Education Li Andersson (Left Alliance).
