Katainen to continue efforts to form government – says no alternatives ruled out

Greens drop out of government talks – all eyes on True Finns

print this

National Coalition Party leader Jyrki Katainen has been given the go-ahead by Finland’s other parties to continue efforts to form a new government for Finland. Katainen said in Parliament on Tuesday that he plans to hold talks with all parties on the formation of a government. He said that no alternatives for the composition of a government have been ruled out, and he promised to report on the results of the discussions on Friday.
      Meanwhile, National Coalition Party MP Kimmo Sasi, who headed the economic policy working group during the first round of government formation talks that broke down last week when the Social Democrats and the Left Alliance walked out, said that further cooperation with the SDP has not been ruled out.
      Sasi also indicated that the views taken by the True Finns on European Union policy would not necessarily exclude the party from participation in the government.
     
On Monday the Green League decided to turn down Katainen’s invitation to stay on in government formation talks.
      At a joint meeting of the party’s Parliamentary group and its delegate council, the Greens voted 23 to 16 to opt out of negotiations on the formation of a government including the National Coalition Party, the Centre Party, the Greens, and possibly the Swedish People’s Party and the Christian Democrats.
      In the vote, nearly all members of the Parliamentary group and party leadership would have wanted to continue in the negotiations. Party chairwoman Anni Sinnemäki and Parliamentary group chairman Ville Niinistö said that reasons for the decision to leave the talks included the Greens’ poor election result and the belief that in the kind of government that had been envisioned, the Greens would not be able to advance their goals on environmental and climate policy, for instance.
     
The prevailing situation means that Katainen’s only option is to persuade the True Finns to join the government. True Finns’ chairman Timo Soini said that he would now ascertain to what degree “the National Coalition Party and the other old parties” can come closer to the True Finns’ points of view on European Union bailout policy.
      “We’ll examine the situation calmly. We need a government in this country, so let’s go through these euro matters one more time.”
      Soini said that conclusions should be drawn later in the week. Official government talks cannot begin today.
     
Soini said that it is not certain that the True Finns will enter the government talks.
      “We will not be holding any public negotiations. The spirit in the Parliamentary group is that we should go into the government, but not at any price.”
      Soini adhered to his previous stance, according to which the True Finns will vote against both the Greek bailout package, and the temporary and permanent finance mechanisms. “Abstaining will not be enough in either of these.”
     
Soini would not reveal with whom he was be discussing EU questions. He said that he said that he had held talks with the National Coalition Party, the Centre, and the SDP.
      “I will discuss this with everyone that I consider necessary to discuss it with.”
     
Katainen was not available for comment. However, Kimmo Sasi, the head of the economic policy group in the government formation talks, said on Monday evening that it would be difficult, but not impossible, to reconcile the EU points of view of the National Coalition Party and the True Finns.
      Sasi told Helsingin Sanomat that the True Finns can stick to their opposition to EU bailouts if the current parties in Parliament stick to their EU commitments.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  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)
  THURSDAY: Social Democrats and Left Alliance quit government talks – SDP and National Coalition Party blame each other (2.6.2011)
  Centre Party ready to join government (6.6.2011)
  Nat. Coalition Party and SDP at loggerheads after govt. talks breakdown (6.6.2011)

Helsingin Sanomat