Advisers to the Prime Minister appointed

Prime Minister Juha Sipilä has appointed his advisory staff. Prime Minister Sipilä has appointed Ms Riina Nevamäki (39), Master of Social Sciences, as his Special Adviser in Political Affairs. Mr Markus Lahtinen (46), Doctor of Science in Economics and Business Administration, has been appointed as Special Adviser to the Prime Minister in Economic Affairs. Ms Anna-Kaisa Heikkinen (41), Master of Social Sciences, Counsellor at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, acts as Special Adviser to the Prime Minister in International Affairs during the summer.

The Special Adviser in Parliamentary Affairs is Ms Janika Tikkala (27), Master of Arts. Ms Tikkala also assists the Prime Minister in his press relations. Mr Jani Haapiainen (42), Bachelor of Arts, has been appointed as Special Adviser in EU Affairs. Mr Haapiainen will take up his duties on 22 June.

Ms Ritva Larilahti serves as the Prime Minister’s Administrative Assistant. She is now serving as an Administrative Assistant for the fifth Prime Minister representing the Centre Party of Finland.

Riina Nevamäki has acted as adviser to the leaders of the Centre party since 2012. Ms Nevamäki has also acted as State Secretary to Minister of Economic Affairs Mauri Pekkarinen and as Special Adviser to the Prime Minister, Minister of Trade and Industry and Minister of Defence.

Markus Lahtinen transferred to the Prime Minister's Office from the position of Research Director of Pellervo Economic Research Institute. Previously Mr Lahtinen held the position of Professor of Economics at the University of Tampere.

Anna-Kaisa Heikkinen was Special Adviser in International Affairs also to Prime Minister Alexander Stubb. Previously Ms Heikkinen has held various positions in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, latest position being in the Unit for Russia.

Janika Tikkala transferred to the position from Parliament where she worked as Parliamentary Assistant to members of Parliament Juha Sipilä and Annika Saarikko. Ms Tikkala has also worked as a journalist for the news agency STT.

Jani Haapiainen will transfers from the position of Secretary for International Affairs of the Centre Party parliamentary group, in which he has been responsible for preparing the group's EU and foreign policy stances. He has also been Press Attaché for the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development.

The Prime Minister's State Secretary will be appointed later.

Inquiries: Riina Nevamäki, Special Adviser to the Prime Minister in Political Affairs, tel. +358 40 705 2593, Prime Minister's Office

English translation of the press release published on 11 June 2015