The Ostrobothnian SDP candidate list is set to plump up at the end of November, when the Swedish-speaking social democrats nominate their own candidates.
Urpilainen expressed her interest in a Parliamentary position on Friday, when she annouced on her blog that she was available for both domestic and international tasks in the name of the SDP.
Jukka-Pekka Matintupa, chair for the Ostrobothnian SDP division, said he was thrilled after the nominations.
”We’re all very relieved,” he said. ”We truly thought that the situation was wide open with no certainties – which it probably was. We were on tenterhooks, because we knew she must have received some tempting offers from various organisations.”
Matintupa considers the presence of incumbent ministers like Harry Wallin from Seinäjoki to be of great importance, but none so much as Jutta Urpilainen.
”This is going to do wonders for morale,” Matintupa said. ”You can already see how many phonecalls our office has gotten, how many I’ve personally received. It encourages people, especially women, to join in the election efforts.”
Jutta Urpilainen herself was not present at the division meeting due to her grandfather’s passing. The reason for her absence was relayed to those present at the start of the event.
The Ostrobothnian division of the SDP will vie for three new Member of Parliament places next year. There are currently two incumbent Ostrobothnian members. Sixteen MPs will be chosen from the Vaasa electoral district; one less than last year.
”I admit these are challenging circumstances,” Matintupa said.