Minister of Transport and Communications Lulu Ranne (Finns) has assumed the role of interior minister for the remainder of the year.
This temporary appointment will see Ranne manage two portfolios across different ministries for the next four months, a situation which rarely occurs in Finnish politics.
The added role comes as Ranne's party colleague Mari Rantanen steps down as interior minister until the end of the year due to her adult child's serious illness.
"This is a highly demanding and challenging situation, but I am confident that this interim solution will be handled properly. Finland's security will not be compromised," Ranne said. "I will be delegating and prioritising tasks. I have complete trust in the expertise of the ministries and the civil service."
Ranne, addressing her upcoming responsibilities at a press conference on Friday, affirmed her commitment to continuing Rantanen's work.
"I will carry on Minister Rantanen's excellent work. The demanding commitments outlined in the government programme will be implemented. This is a major undertaking, but it will be managed through cooperation," she added.
Opposition criticises decision
Ranne's new dual role has, however, drawn criticism from the opposition. The interior minister's role is particularly demanding in the face of challenges such as instrumentalised migration from Russia. Centre Party chair Antti Kaikkonen urged the government to reconsider whether the portfolio should be assigned to someone not already holding a ministerial position.
"This is the right decision. I can confirm that we have an excellent system in place. Security will be maintained, even though the captain is changing. This will be handled through collaboration," Ranne responded, defending her dual role.
Ranne was also questioned about the situation on the eastern border, which remains closed. She was asked whether there might be a possibility of reopening the border partially, for instance, for passenger traffic.
According to Ranne, there are still no grounds for reopening Finland's eastern border with Russia, and authorities maintain that the situation has not changed.
One of the most recent cases of a minister holding dual ministerial portfolios involved Jari Lindström, a politician from the Finns Party (and later the short-lived Blue Reform Party). He served as both minister of employment and justice from 2015 to 2017 in Prime Minister Juha Sipilä's Centre-led government.
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