The Green League decided to leave the coalition government after a motion to that effect by the party’s chair Ville Niinistö. The vote took place at a joint meeting of the Green League’s parliamentary group and party council in Seinäjoki.
Green participation in the government ended after the majority of the cabinet voted to approve a new decision-in-principle for the Fennovoima nuclear project. The Greens had made it clear when they joined the coalition that they would only participate in the government if it would consider no new nuclear investments.
In his speech at the meeting, Ville Niinistö listed the achievements of his party in the areas of environmental protection and basic social services.
“On the backs of these achievements, I can’t help but be saddened by the government’s decision on Thursday to break from our agreed agenda and green-light the Fennovoima nuclear project application after a tight vote,” he said.
Niinistö noted that three decisions-in-principle for the construction of new nuclear reactors have been made in the last fifteen years.
“All of the promises that have been made in association with these decisions have been broken. I hope someone will go back and check what kinds of statement have been made on the parliamentary floor over the years, because they haven’t held water. Not one single megawatt of electricity has been generated by these decisions,” Niinistö concludes.
Niinistö finished by thanking each of the ministers for years of cooperation in good faith.
