Finland’s PM Rinne resigns over postal service dispute

Finland’s Prime Minister Antti Rinne resigned on Tuesday after a key coalition partner withdrew its support from his five-party Cabinet. Rinne, who took office in June, has faced heavy criticism in the past several days over how he and a fellow party member in charge of government companies dealt with Finland’s state-owned postal service Posti, whose workers went on strike for two weeks in November.

The announcement prompted the formal resignation of the Cabinet made up of Rinne’s Social Democratic Party, the Center Party, the Greens, the Left Alliance and the Swedish People’s Party of Finland, AP reports. Parliament will decide on a new prime minister next week.

A key coalition partner, the Center Party, cited a lack of trust in Rinne, urging him either to resign or to face a no-confidence vote. Rinne tendered his resignation to Finnish President Sauli Niinisto.

The Center Party withdrew its backing for Rinne on Monday, but pledged its continued support for government programs, hence avoiding an early election.