Make or break day for Free Party in coalition talks
Reform Party Chairman Taavi Rõivas said the four parties will summarize the previous 10 days of talks today, Wednesday, and decide whether to continue negotiations with four parties.
“Building common ground between four parties is more complicated than with two or three parties. But we're not saying it's impossible – we know that six party coalitions have been created in Finland, and they have lasted. What is difficult during negotiations will be easier once the government has been formed,” Rõivas said.
Free Party's Andres Herkel said talks have now gone on for a week and a half, but the key questions are yet to be tackled. “There are a whole host of questions which we want clear answers to. If those answers arrive on March 30 or sometime in April when someone has been approached to form the government, then it will be too late,” he said.
Herkel said his party will not back down on demands such as the development of democracy, limiting party financing, substantially increasing the tax-free minimum, state and administrative reforms, and lowering labor taxation.
He said his party respects the wishes of the Social Democrats, IRL and the Reform Party, but he does not want the coalition agreement to turn into a round blob lacking content. “The Free Party was given a mandate to bring about change. If we go 'firmly forward' with just cosmetic changes then our voters did not give their mandate for us to join such a coalitions.”
Editor: J.M. Laats