Finnish Cabinet’s Collapse May Hamper EU Presidency Preparation
- Finland is due to take up bloc’s rotating presidency on July 1
- Civil servants now lack political oversight for preparations
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The surprise resignation of Finland’s government has an unfortunate side-effect: it throws a spanner in the works of preparations for the Nordic nation’s European Union presidency.
Finland’s turn holding the bloc’s rotating six-month presidency is set to begin July 1, and the timetable already looked tough with elections coming up. Now, the government’s collapse on a political gamble by Prime Minister Juha Sipila removes policy makers’ oversight from the work to prepare for the EU presidency, leaving civil servants holding the steering wheel.