Presidential candidates reject proposed additional subsidies to EU crisis fund

Niinistö, Haavisto, Arhinmäki and Biaudet would ban opinion polls in days preceding elections

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None of the eight candidates running in Sunday’s presidential elections would be willing to give additional guarantees to the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF).
      European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said on Monday that countries such as Germany and Finland which have retained their Standard & Poor’s AAA credit rating should contribute more to the emergency fund, whose S&P rating was lowered.
      Tuesday’s presidential debate organised by Helsingin Sanomat and the Nelonen television network nevertheless showed some divisions over EU policy.
     
A majority of candidates were of the view that the president must support the EU policies of the government.
      “There cannot be a separate economic policy of the government and the president. Finland needs to have one policy in Europe”, said Pekka Haavisto (Green League). “Absolutely: the president needs to support the government”, echoed Eva Biaudet (Swedish People’s Party).
     
The National Coalition Party’s Sauli Niinistö said that the president needs to be involved in situations in which Finns face dangers.
      “It is the president’s job to take care of the future of the nation. In big European questions the president is a natural player in supporting the government.”
      Paavo Lipponen (SDP) cast doubt on the validity of the question, noting that Klaus Regling, CEO of the EFSF has already said that no extra input from the AAA-ranked countries is necessary. However, he took a more positive view than the others toward possible support in the future.
     
In the view of Timo Soini (The Finns Party), it would be better for the government to fall in line with “the sensible President Timo Soini” than the other way around.
      Soini reiterated his familiar view that support packages do not work. “When credit ratings decline, more money is needed, and Finnish responsibilities increase. Other talk is nonsense.”
      Paavo Väyrynen (Centre Party) also came out against Finland taking on any additional bailout responsibility. He said that as president he would not offer the government support in handling an economic crisis, because such matters are for the government and parliament, and not for the president.
     
Niinistö, Haavisto, Biaudet, and Paavo Arhinmäki (Left Alliance) were all in favour of an opinion poll blackout in the days immediately preceding an election.
      Niinistö noted that a number of other countries already have such bans in place.
      Haavisto opined that a good cut-off point would be when advance voting has begun. He agreed with Lipponen’s view that polls can influence how people vote.
     
Paavo Lipponen criticised the seating arrangement of the debate in Sanoma House in the centre of Helsinki.
      The candidates had been seated in the order of popularity as indicated by the most recent opinion poll commissioned by Helsingin Sanomat, which placed Lipponen between Arhinmäki and Christian Democratic candidate Sari Essayah.
     
None of the candidates in Tuesday’s debate were in favour of spending public funds on the proposed Guggenheim museum in Helsinki.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Finland retains S&P AAA rating (16.1.2012)
  Poll: Niinistö’s lead narrows; Haavisto and Väyrynen in dead-heat for second place (17.1.2012)
  Expert says unusual configuration in presidential election makes many voters delay final decision (16.1.2012)

Helsingin Sanomat