True Finns MP Timo Soini’s announcement on Saturday that he has decided to run for the European Parliament in the next EU elections in June has met with criticism from the Left Alliance and the Social Democratic Party.
Soini also made it known that he will leave the EU Parliament if he wins a seat in the Finnish Parliamentary elections in 2011.
Left Alliance ChairmanMartti Korhonen commented on Soini’s plans at a meeting of the Party Council, saying that ”it certainly sounds like he is playing tricks”.
Korhonen was supported by SDP Party Secretary Ari Korhonen, who said that it takes new MEPs 18 months to get used to the Parliament procedures and it is not possible to look after the interests of Finland during a quick visit to Brussels.
”If a candidate declares already in advance that he is to leave his seat in the middle of a term, it is pure underestimation of people. A mandate from people is given for the entire five-year period; it must not be split as one pleases”, Ari Korhonen writes in his press release.
Timo Soini himself also commented on the matter to the Finnish News Agency (STT) last night, saying that he is only being honest with his voters.
In Soini’s view, the Left Alliance are attacking him because they are afraid of losing their own seat on the European Parliament.
The Left Alliance is seeking two seats in the next EU elections in June. At present they only have one. Before submitting its list of candidates for the upcoming EU Parliament elections, the True Finns Party Board is to name another three candidates as soon as possible.
