Finland's parliamentary supervisory council has appointed a new board chair for the national public broadcasting company Yle. The move comes during a heated debate over the reinstatement of executive bonuses, a decision that has drawn sharp criticism from lawmakers across the political spectrum. The supervisory council, composed of Members of Parliament, met at the Eduskunta building in Helsinki to finalize the leadership transition. Media industry veteran Kari Kivelä is set to become the new chair, replacing Matti Apunen, whose term ended early. New board members Frank Korsström and Salla Ketola, the latter noted for her digital and AI expertise, will also join. The appointments follow a rule change extending board member terms to five years, aligning with a broader EU trend of standardizing corporate governance periods for state-owned enterprises. The selection process was reportedly unanimous, but official announcements await formal acceptance from the nominees.
The leadership change is overshadowed by a contentious board decision to resume performance and incentive bonuses for Yle's top management. These payments were frozen during a cost-saving program that recently led to 170 employee layoffs. The board's move to reactivate bonuses for 2026 and 2027, while implementing staff cuts, has ignited a political firestorm. The parliamentary supervisory council, which oversees Yle but does not directly decide on remuneration, attempted to discuss the issue but failed to reach a consensus. Council Chairman Sinuhe Wallinheimo of the National Coalition Party described the talks as a 'spirited discussion.'
Opposition to the bonuses was vocal. Teemu Keskisarja, a council member from the Finns Party, condemned the decision in strong terms. He stated the move was a 'shameless blow' and accused Yle's leadership of violating the spirit of parliamentary recommendations by 'taking more money from the taxpayer's pocket' immediately when given the chance. Keskisarja expressed frustration that efforts by his party and others to delay the executive bonuses were unsuccessful. Council member Joakim Vigelius echoed the sentiment, calling it 'absurd' to direct funds to 'excessive bonuses' for management while cutting programming and content budgets during a period of austerity and layoffs.
The controversy highlights a recurring tension in Finnish politics regarding the autonomy of public institutions versus parliamentary oversight. Yle is funded by a public broadcasting tax, making its spending decisions a matter of intense public and political scrutiny. Critics from both government and opposition parties questioned not only the bonus decision but also the supervisory council's handling of the matter. Some argued the council, led by Wallinheimo, should not have placed the bonus issue on its agenda at all, as it falls under the board's purview and the government's ownership steering. The meeting was described by some participants as chaotic, with criticism directed at the chairman's management of the session. This episode underscores the challenges of balancing independent public media governance with accountability to the parliament and the taxpayers who fund it. The debate is likely to continue, as the bonus decision is seen by many lawmakers as tone-deaf amid broader economic pressures and a focus on essential public service content.