The leader of the Finnish Social Democratic Party (SDP), Antti Rinne, announced today that negotiations will begin with the Center Party (Keskusta), the Green League (Vihreät), the Left Alliance (Vasemmistoliitto) and the Swedish Party (RKP) in order to form a coalition Government in Finland.
In a press conference held at the Finnish Parliament (Eduskunta), Rinne outlined the priorities for his future Government: to fight inequality and to improve the workers's situation, to fight the climate change and to make investments.
According to his statements, the traveling companions that he has chosen seem to be "the best composition" to achieve those goals. "If we succeed in the negotiations, we are set to have a clear majority Government", he remarked.
The numbers back his remark: together, the five parties now involved in negotiations added 1.7 million votes in the elections of May 15. A great support that allows them to hold 117 seats in the Finnish Parliament, out of a total of 200. Specifically, SDP won 40 seats, Keskusta 31, Green League 20, Left Alliance 16 and the Swedish Party 5.
Economic, social and ecological review
The talks among the negotiating parties will start immediately today with reviews of the economic, social and ecological situation, according to a press release by the Government's Communications Department.
A review of the economic situation will be presented by Governor of the Bank of Finland Olli Rehn and State Secretary of the Ministry of Finance Martti Hetemäki.
A review of the social situation will be presented by Head of Unit Anne Lounamaa, from the National Institute for Health and Welfare. And a review of the ecological situation by Professor of Environmental and Resource Economics Markku Ollikainen. from the University of Helsinki.
At the opening seminar presentations will also be given by Anita Lehikoinen, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Education and Culture, Matti Anttonen, Permanent State Secretary at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, and Jari Gustafsson, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment.
Next critical date: May 24
Rinne explained that now his goal is to finish the works to draw the new government's program by May 24. "We will then start working on making sure that parliamentary groups are committed to the program", he said.
The leader of the social democrats said that in the previous talks all the consulted parties found matching views, but also some important differences and incompatibilities from his group's point of view.
The Center sets conditions
The Chairman of the Center Party (Keskusta), former prime minister Juha Sipilä, wrote on twitter that, according to an internal survey, 80% of the members of his party support to go into negotiations to go into a coalition Government "provided that the Center's threshold questions are met". Other 20% opposed the talks.
Keskusta kyselyssä puoluevaltuuston, puoluehallituksen ja eduskuntaryhmän jäsenistä 80 % kannatti hallitusneuvotteluihin lähtemistä sillä edellytyksellä, että Keskustan kynnyskysymykset toteutuvat. 20 % vastusti lähtemistä hallitusneuvotteluihin. Olen informoitunut Antti Rinteen.
— Juha Sipilä (@juhasipila) May 8, 2019
Some of the conditions imposed by the Center Party are: the commitment to a 75% employment rate and balanced public finances; no tightening of taxation for entrepreneurs and business; improvements for families -specially for the poorest with children- and for the care of the elderly; improvements in high education and professional training and also improvements in the sustainable use of the natural resources.
