Veteran Social Democratic Party MP Tarja Filatov has been elected as first Deputy Speaker of Parliament. Filatov, from the Häme constituency, has previously served as the second Deputy Speaker of Parliament between 2010 and 2011. She has been a member of parliament since 1995, making her one of the longest-serving female MPs.
Filatov will replace ex-premier and former SDP party leader Antti Rinne, who was elected as chair of Parliament’s Constitutional Law Committee on Wednesday. Rinne is stepping into the role after Johanna Ojala-Niemelä revealed last week she had been diagnosed with a brain tumour.
Ojala-Niemelä has been on sick leave since 14 December but she hopes to return to work before the spring.