At present, the state has a 12% holding in Fingrid. Minister of Employment and the Economy Mauri Pekkarinen has been a strong advocate of upping ownership to over 50%. Finance Minister Jyrki Katainen said in a YLE interview on Saturday that he is not in favour of the move.
Prime Minister Vanhanen says that there is no major conflict over the issue within the cabinet, nor is it Pekkarinen's brainchild. According to Vanhanen, EU internal market rules obligate the Finnish government to take a majority holding in the electricity transmission grid operator.
Speaking to YLE, the Prime Minister said that he understands Katainen's reluctance to spend the money, but he stressed expert interpretation of the EU directive requiring majority ownership by the state in the company.
Vanhanen added that it is clear that a going market rate should be paid for Fingrid, which means that it will not be a matter of nationalizing the grid operator