The
four parties will negotiate under the leadership of National
Coalition Party (NCP) head Petteri Orpo, a fiscal conservative
who is widely expected to replace left-wing leader Sanna Marin
as Finland's next prime minister.
"We really have big challenges ahead, we have to make difficult
decisions, we have to make savings, we have to make reforms but
I think they can be done and with this combination I think we
can do it," Orpo told a news conference.
The NCP won 48 seats in the April 2 election, ahead of the Finns
with 46, while Marin's Social Democrats came third with 43
elected members of the 200-seat parliament.
In addition to the NCP and the Finns, Orpo also aims to include
the Swedish People's Party, which holds nine seats, and the
Christian Democrats with five, bringing the total potential
support to 108.
But before he can take office, Orpo must find common ground with
the nationalist and eurosceptic Finns Party and its leader
Riikka Purra, most notably on the contentious issue of
immigration and asylum seekers.
While Purra has said her party would like to curb both
humanitarian and work-based immigration from outside of Europe,
Orpo has suggested he is ready to review asylum policy but wants
to continue to welcome skilled workers to Finland.
If the talks fail, Orpo can still attempt to negotiate with
other parties.
(Reporting by Essi Lehto, editing by Terje Solsvik)
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