Finnish media slams minister for nuke disloyalty
Date: 22-Feb-02
Country: FINLAND
"Cabinet members left in the minority must, in the name of democracy, settle for the majority stance," tabloid Iltalehti said in its editorial. "It cannot be thought that they would, as ministers, continue working to overturn the endeavour."
Finland's government last month bucked a general shift away from nuclear power in Western Europe by passing to parliament a proposal by energy group Teollisuuden Voima (TVO) to build a fifth nuclear reactor in Finland to meet future energy demand.
Hassi, former head of the Green Party, voted against the proposal but her party has remained in the five-party coalition government despite some calls from members to leave.
But Hassi on Monday sparked a cabinet rift by publishing a study she had commissioned which showed that boosting nuclear capacity meant energy taxes would rise, making it no cheaper an option than replacing coal-generated energy with natural gas.
The study - which commentators said brought no substantial new information to the discussion - provoked criticism from government coalition partners.
Several of the country's main papers said Hassi had acted against the rules of politics by commissioning a study after the issue had moved from government to parliament.
"(Hassi) has decided to attempt to show that the government gave the wrong impression about things... Satu Hassi is acting in government in an altogether unloyal manner," Finland's largest daily Helsingin Sanomat said in its editorial.
"Such maverick behaviour can be thought odd, especially when the government has already made its decision," business daily Kauppalehti added in an editorial.
Prime Minister Paavo Lipponen strongly defended nuclear power on Tuesday, saying in the Financial Times that the option of nuclear power should be preserved if the European Union is not to become a "fossil monster".
A parliamentary vote on the new reactor is expected this spring. Parties have given members free rein in what is expected to be a tight vote which some analysts have said could influence planned parliamentary elections for spring 2003.