Government talks to resume among same parties as before

National Coalition, SDP, Left Alliance, Greens, Swedish People’s Party and Christian Democrats to resume talks

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Talks on the formation of a new government are to resume with the same six parties that were involved in the negotiations which broke down last week.
      National Coalition Party leader Jyrki Katainen announced early Friday afternoon that the National Coalition Party, the Social Democratic Party, the Left Alliance, the Greens, the Swedish People’s Party, and the Christian Democrats would start discussions soon.
      Katainen said that he aims to complete the talks by Friday next week.
     
The formation of a majority government became more complicated than usual when the right-of-centre populist True Finns won a massive victory in the Parliamentary elections in April. The political landscape in the country changed considerably; whereas Finland previously had three large parties, it now has four fairly large parties.
      Katainen made his first feelers for the formation of a government with the Social Democratic Party and the True Finns, but they collapsed over differences over Finnish participation in the bailout of Greece and Portugal, which the True Finns staunchly oppose.
     
Actual government formation talks were held for nearly two weeks in May, with the National Coalition Party, the Social Democratic Party, the Left Alliance, the Greens, the Swedish People’s Party, and the Christian Democrats.
      Those efforts came to a halt over differences between the conservative National Coalition Party and the two left-of-centre parties – the Social Democrats and Left Alliance – over taxation policy.
      Soon after that a model under which the main government parties would have been the National Coalition Party and the Centre Party came to nothing when the Greens decided not to participate in such a coalition.
     
Through Thursday Katainen apparently had two different models for a government under consideration.
      One option, for a government of the National Coalition Party, the True Finns, and the Centre Party, proved to be unfeasible because of the True Finns’ unwillingness to compromise on the euro bailout issue.
      A government of the old three largest parties, the National Coalition, the SDP, and the Centre failed to materialise because the SDP was against it. Some have also speculated that the Centre would be reluctant to join a coalition if the True Finns were not sharing responsibilty for the government's actions at a time when many difficult decisions lie ahead,
      If Katainen fails to reach a suitable composition this time, the task of seeking a workable government would go to the SDP’s Jutta Urpilainen.
     


Previously in HS International Edition:
  True Finns still hope for understanding on euro bailouts (9.6.2011)
  Katainen to continue efforts to form government – says no alternatives ruled out (7.6.2011)
  THURSDAY: Social Democrats and Left Alliance quit government talks – SDP and National Coalition Party blame each other (2.6.2011)
  Nat. Coalition Party and SDP at loggerheads after govt. talks breakdown (6.6.2011)
  Social Democrats walked out of government talks despite winning many concessions (3.6.2011)
  Centre Party keeps doors open to left and right on government front (3.6.2011)

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