Finland – Greens back in game despite election loss

Party leaders Anni Sinnemäki (Greens), Timo Soini (“True Finns”), Mari Kiviniemi (Centre), Jyrki Katainen (National Coalition Party), Päivi Räsänen (Christian Democrats) and Jutta Urpilainen (Social Democrats) prepare for a televised debate on April 6, 2011.

In spite of a stinging setback (Helsingin Sanomat) in the elections, the Green League is back in the game. Prime minister designate Jyrki Katainen (National Coalition) has asked Vihreä Liitto to join the coalition talks after the True Finns pulled out of government talks on 12 May, together with three other smaller parties. Even if those talks would fail, the Greens soon will be playing another very strong trump.

En dépit de leur perte de 5 sièges, la Ligue Verte est de retour dans le jeu. Le Premier ministre désigné Jyrki Katainen (National Coalition) a demandé Vihreä Liitto se joindre aux pourparlers de coalition après que les Vrais Finlandais se sont retirés, le 12 mai, avec trois autres petits partis. Et même si ces négociations échoueront, les Verts joueront bientôt un autre atout très fort.

Nuclear power vote memorial Toolonlahti Helsinki (source: wikipedia)

First black MP

The party losing 5 of its 15 seats during Finland’s April 17 election, was quite disappointing. After the Fukushima nuclear disaster the Greens – who just failed to pull out of government last year out of protest to the government’s nuclear expansion programme – had been doing well in the polls. And their international-minded electorate is one of the least likely ones to switch to the True Finns, the populist nationalists that jumped from almost nil to 39 seats. But many voters changed their mind at last notice, says a reliable source inside the Green League, who prefers to remain anonymous, voting for the Social Democrats keep them in second place.

‘But the loss’, he adds, ‘isn’t a disaster. Both its ex-ministers, Anni Sinnemäki and Tuija Brax, kept their seats. And a new Green face to watch is Jani Toivola, the first black Finnish representative in the history of the Finnish Parliament.’

Rainbouw Coalition

The Greens are back in the game thanks to the True Finns’ withdrawal from the coalition talks; Timo Soini’s party refused to support the 78 bn Euro bailout package for Portugal. Finance minister Katainen now is aiming at a ‘Rainbow coalition’, consisting of his National Coalition Party, the winner of the elections with 44 of the 200 seats in the Eduskunta, the Social Democrats (42), which ended 2nd, the Left Alliance (14), the Swedish People’s Party (6), the Christian Democrats (6), and the Green League.

Pekka for President

The talks, which started yesterday, are expected to last a week. If they succeed, the Greens will face a tough time, because they aren’t needed for a majority. If they fail, because the Left Alliance equally opposes the Portuguese bailout, and Virheä Liitto is out again, it still has another trump to play: Pekka Haavisto. This MP, former Environment minister (1995-99) and the first Green in the world to hold a cabinet post, will most probably be nominated as the party’s candidate for the presidential elections in January 2012.

A poll commissioned by the Finnish Broadcasting Company late last year gave Haavisto just a five-per cent rating. But our source is optimistic, ‘It will be Pekka versus Timo Soini – IF we manage to get the support of the Social Democrats and the Centre Party. 8 months aren’t much time to set up a proper campaign. But the alternative would be Soini against a totally unknown candidate. In which case the country really would have a problem’.