Alexander Stubb, famous in the Barents Region for branding the north as the world´s most sexy region, is put on track to take over after Jyrki Katainen.
Regional identity is on the priority list of the new Russian Barents Council chairmanship along with cross-border transportation, climate, culture and tourism.
During his three years in the Federation Council, Konstantin Dobrynin became a vocal critic of current political trends in Russia. Opponents will sigh of relief as he now exits the legislative assembly.
The question about who should be accepted as Sámi is under debate after the Supreme Administrative Court of Finland accepted nearly 100 new people as Sámi against the will of the Sámi Parliament.
Prosecutors say Governor Vyacheslav Gaizer and 13 other high-ranking politicians are detained on suspicions of serious fraud. Experts believe the arrests rather are linked with political intrigues and controversies between powerful economic interests.