President Niinistö's new assessment of Finland's NATO timetable: As early as April – MPs in an interview on IL's broadcast

Parliament meets for the last time in this election period. The decision-making process is underway. Follow this live broadcast from the parliament. IL-TVTekijät (3)Today at 1:20 p.m. (edited at 2:49 p.m.)

The election period that started in the spring of 2019 will end on Wednesday, when the President of the Republic Sauli Niinistö declares that the work of the parliament has ended as of from the election period.

At the closing session starting at 1:45 p.m., the speaker of the parliament Matti Vanhanen delivered the greeting of the parliament, after which Niinistö gave his own declaration.

Finally, Vanhanen said his farewell words, after which the first vice-speaker Antti Rinne gives a speech to the speaker. Rinne's speech ended with shouts of long live.

The best is the speaker's reception in the state hall, where Iltalehti's political editors Lauri Nurmi and Marko-Oskari Lehtonen interview MPs, ministers and other government representatives present.

The parliamentary election period ends on Wednesday. Hanne Salonen/Parliament The new MPs will be announced next Sunday, April 2. OUTI JÄRVENEN

Corrected at 14:18: Vanhanen spoke twice, before and after Niinistö. The story originally contained parts of Vanhanen's second speech even before Niinistö's speech.