Parties seeking money and candidates for European election
Left Alliance has longest list of new candidates
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“I would certainly run as a candidate for the European Parliament if I had enough money”, is what many politicians in Finland are saying when asked about their possible interest in the June election.
The importance of money is said to have increased in elections of all types, but the elections for the European Parliament are an especially big effort for the parties and the candidates.
The cost stems from the fact that candidates compete for votes nationwide. The campaigns need to be bigger than in elections for local councils, or the national Parliament, if the candidates hope to reach all of the the voters.
The conservative National Coalition Party is investing the most money in promoting its candidates. Party Secretary Taru Tujunen says that the campaign coffers have between 700,000 and 800,000 euros. The election budget of the Centre Party will be known in late November, says party secretary Jarmo Korhonen.
The Social Democratic Party is spending EUR 500,000 on the European elections, the Left Alliance is budgeting EUR 300,000, the Greens are putting up EUR 280,000, and the Christian Democrats have a preliminary budget of EUR 170,000.
Also remaining open is who will run as candidates. The decision-making bodies of several parties will deal with the matter in November. Many parties are not saying anything about possible names at this point.
The Left Alliance is furthest along in the process, having named about ten sure candidates so far. The other parties are more cautious. The Centre Party and the Greens each have four names that are reasonably sure. The National Coalition Party has three and the Social Democrats have one so far.
The National Coalition Party is connected with one of the more interesting couples in the elections. Roberta Metsola Tedesco Triccas, the Maltese wife of EU affairs consultant Ukko Metsola, is a candidate of a right-of-centre party in her country.
Candidate selection is more difficult for small parties, as they have fewer potential candidates.
Sari Essayah, party secretary of the Christian Democrats, says that neither she nor any of the party’s seven Members of Parliament have ruled out possible candidacy.
Swedish People’s Party secretary Ulla Achrén says that both the candidate situation and the election budget remain completely open.
After their success in the local elections, the elections to the European Parliament have started to interest the populist True Finns.
“Candidate speculation will start soon. Names will be put forward unofficially before the end of the year”, says the True Finns' party secretary Ossi Sandvik.
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 5.11.2008 - TODAY |
 Parties seeking money and candidates for European election |
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