Finnish anti-euro party makes election gains

Ruling National Coalition party remains biggest party with 43 seats, but nationalist True Finns up from six to 39 seats. Last Modified: 17 Apr 2011 19:14

Timo Soini, leader of the True Finns party, celebrates the election results [EPA] Finland's anti-euro True Finns party has made big gains in parliamentary elections, threatening the pro-European government and raising the risk of disruption to an EU bailout of Portugal. With 99 per cent of votes counted, the largest vote-winner was the conservative National Coalition party (NCP), part of the current centre-right government and a strong advocate for European integration. But with 43 seats it had only one more than the opposition Social Democrats, while the True Finns had taken 39 seats in the 200-member parliament, up from six in the previous election in 2007. As the votes were counted, Timo Soini, the leader of the True Finns, said: "This is really good. This is a historic change.'' Finland, unlike others in the eurozone, can put requests for bailout funds to a majority vote in parliament, meaning that the election outcome may affect EU plans to shore up Portugal and stability in debt markets. "This result will give Europe gray hairs,'' political analyst Olavi Borg said. "It will cause them problems over the bailout funds." Some analysts said the NCP could work with the True Finns if the nationalist and anti-immigration party party backed down from their opposition to EU bailout plans. Jan Vapaavuori, an NCP minister, played down on Friday fears of a new anti-euro government, saying any coalition that is formed would support the EU. The True Finns, he said, would probably tone down its rhetoric as a condition of joining government. The Social Democrats, who are critical of the bailout plan but supportive of the EU, would be even easier to get on board, he said. The True Finns have said they have no intention of backing down from their opposition to the bailout plan, but political analysts said the party and Soini would probably compromise if needed. Finland is presently governed by an EU-friendly four-party coalition led by Mari Kiviniemi's, the prime minister, Centre party and the NCP. Kiviniemi's party dropped 15 seats and a quarter of the support it had in the last election. "It would appear to be a crushing defeat for us,'' she said, adding her party would go into opposition. A scandal over political funding had hurt the Centre party, and unemployment has also driven voter angst. The economy's recent rebound from the global financial crisis had also done little to increase the number of jobs.

Source: Agencies