Finland's Social Democrats set to pick PM candidate on Sunday

Finland's Social Democrats, who lead the five-party government, will hold a council meeting on Sunday, Dec. 8 where they are set to pick a candidate for prime minister after incumbent Antti Rinne was forced out by coalition partner the Centre Party. "We will hold a party council meeting on Sunday at 1730 (1530 GMT)," party secretary Antton Ronnholm told Finnish television on Thursday.

Rinne resigned earlier this week after the Centre Party said it had lost confidence in him following a series of disruptive strikes. Minister of Transportation and Communications Sanna Marin and Antti Lindeman, the head of the Social Democrats parliamentary group, is seen as the main candidates to replace Rinne.