Finland's PM says to resign in June

Updated: 2014-04-06 17:17

(Xinhua)

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Finland's PM says to resign in June

Finland's Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen talks to the media as he arrives at a European Union leaders' summit in Brussels, in this Dec 20, 2013 file picture. Finnish Prime Minister Katainen announced on April 5, 2014 that he was stepping down in June. Katainen told a news conference that he would not run for a new term as a chairman of his conservative National Coalition party at its congress in June, which means he will no longer be prime minister. Katainen, who has led his party for 10 years, and the quarrelsome six-party coalition government since 2011, said he would not run for the EU parliament in May or the Finnish parliament next year either. [Photo/Agencies]



HELSINKI - Finnish Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen has announced that he will resign as chair of the National Coalition Party and head of the government in June, Finnish media reported on Sunday.

Katainen made the remarks on Saturday night at a party session, adding that he would compete for the post as Finland' s next EU commissioner in May, according to Finnish national broadcaster Yle.

"I've considered this very carefully and decided that I will not be available to continue as NCP chair after the party conference," Katainen was quoted as saying.

Finland's current European commissioner Olli Rehn is about to step down after the European elections in May.

Katainen has been the chair of the National Coalition Party for 10 years since 2004. He became the prime minister of the six-party coalition government in June 2011.

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