Four-party coalition deal struck in Finland
Over two months of coalition negotiations in Finland have resulted in an agreement which will see Peeteri Orpo replace Sanna Marin as prime minister of Estonia's northern neighbor. The details of the agreement signed by the four-party coalition, which will include the right-wing Finns Party (PS) will be announced today, Friday.
Orpo, whose party, National Coalition (NCP), won most seats (48) at the April parliamentary election, said: "All issues have been resolved and the papers are ready," Reuters reports.
NCP's agreement is with the eurosceptic, anti-immigration PS (46 seats), joined by the minority-language Swedish People's Party (RKP, nine seats) and the Christian Democrats (KD, five seats) to agree on a common platform.
This gives the alignment 108 seats at the 200-seat Eduskunta.
Outgoing Prime Minister Sanna Marin's Social Democrats, with 43 seats, are now in opposition.
The coalition negotiations had lasted 11 weeks with immigration, climate policy and also public finances proving bones of contention, particularly between the Finns and the Swedish People's Party, while Reuters reports that the incoming Orpo-led administration is expected to curb the fiscal deficit by cutting unemployment and welfare benefits, to tighten immigration and to loosen environmental commitments.
Orpo has said he wants to cut taxes and sell off stakes in some government-controlled companies, but declined to elaborate.
The incoming coalition's policy program will be made public Friday.
The new administration is set to be in office in Finland for four years.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte
Source: Reuters
