On Thursday, Chancellor of Justice Jaakko Jonkka said he believes Vanhanen unlawfully participated in the allocation of state funds given out by the Finnish Slot Machine Association (RAY) to the youth housing foundation Nuorisosäätiö. The housing foundation donated 23,000 euros to Vanhanen’s presidential campaign.
According to interviews conducted with local party chairs, the Centre Party has nothing to do with potential court proceedings involving Vanhanen. Furthermore, they say they don’t believe that the former premier’s legal woes will cast a shadow on the party’s election campaign efforts.
Most of the party leaders refused to speculate on why Vanhanen stepped down as Centre Party chair and prime minister.
However, Matti Kämäräinen, the Centre Party’s local chair for the region of North Karelia, says Vanhanen’s resignation seems to be for the best.
”He most likely anticipated that this situation was inevitable because he so abruptly sought other positions. He most likely wanted to play it safe.”
Esko Ahonen, the Centre Party local chair in the region of South Ostrobothnia, says he doesn’t view the situation with the youth housing foundation as an impediment to the party.
”Nuoriosäätiö is its own foundation and the Centre is its own organisation. In my opinion, they have nothing to do with one another,” says Ahonen.
Furthermore, the new Centre Party leadership has stayed out of the furore surrounding Vanhanen.
YLE spoke with 17 Centre Party local chairs. The local chair of the Uusimaa district and former chair of Nuorisosäätiö, Antti Kaikkonen, refused to comment.
Chancellor of Justice Says Former PM Vanhanen Compromised Over Campaign Funding