Finland Times

 

Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen. Photo Lehtikuva.

The ruling and the opposition parties have expressed mixed opinions regarding the possibility of holding an early election in the country, following Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen’s announcement of quitting the government and party leadership.

 

Although the major two components of the five-party alliance government – Kansallinen Kokoomus (National Coalition Party) and Suomen Sosialidemokraattinen Puolue (Social Democratic Party) – believe that the exit of the premier would not impact the survival of the government, the main opposition Perussuomalaiset (Finns Party) sees risk for an early election, while another opposition Suomen Keskusta (Centre Party) expressed a passive view in this regard.

 

Prime Minister Katainen, also the chief of the Kokoomus, the biggest component of the alliance government, said there was no need to embark on new elections because the government parties were able to make decisions.

 

The chief of Perussuomalaiset, Timo Soini. Photo Lehtikuva.

Speaking during Yle radio’s prime minister hour programme on Sunday, Katainen pointed at the government’s recent decision on spending limits talks, which was spearheaded by the huge tax increases, as evidence of the government's ability to carry on.

 

Premature elections, according to the premier, would be a very bad sign to the world.

 

Katainen said he had never heard of any leader of a party in the government who did not want to continue to do their jobs or who were not committed to the government's programme.

 

"The government is not a one man show," said Katainen, emphasising that leadership of the country was the responsibility of the whole government.

 

The Finance Minister, Jutta Urpilainen, also chief of the Suomen Sosialidemokraattinen Puolue. Photo Lehtikuva.

Timo Soini, the leader of Perussuomalaiset (Finns Party), said the country should hold early parliamentary polls if prime minister Katainen together with Finance Minister Jutta Urpilainen departed from the government.

 

According to Soini, Katainen's departure implies that parliamentary campaigns in the country would begin immediately.

 

Speaking in the Yle studio, Soini said if such a scenario were to take place, then "it should be ready" for holding early elections.

 

Finance Minister Jutta Urpilainen, also chief of the Suomen Sosialidemokraattinen Puolue, the second largest component of the government, said the government would still be able to continue despite individual changes.

 

In a statement on Sunday, Urpilainen said government programme was about issues and not individuals.

 

She reminded that the large chunk of heavy and difficult decisions have already been made and also stressed that political situation in the country was stable at the moment.

 

Kimmo Tiilikainen, the leader of opposition Suomen Keskusta parliamentary group. Photo Lehtikuva.

Meanwhile, Kimmo Tiilikainen, the leader of opposition Suomen Keskusta parliamentary group, said the need for backdating elections depended on the government's ability to function.

 

Ben Zyskowicz, a lawmaker of Kokoomus, also dismissed calls for early elections.

 

News agency Xinhua added that the Nordic country was baffled with political uncertainties after the Left Alliance quit the government last month over a governmental spend cut, while Social Democratic Party chief Urpilainen, was likely to be replaced after the upcoming SDP leadership election next month.

 

Finnish language daily Helsingin Sanomat's editorial said Katainen's leaving would weaken the government, speculating that the coalition could probably be replaced by a "traditional bourgeois" government with both large parties and enough smaller non-leftist parties to form a majority.

 

However, Katainen has promised that he would postpone his departure if Finland faced an exceptional crisis, reported the daily.

 

The 42-year-old premier has been the chair of the National Coalition Party for ten years since 2004. He won several elections and became the prime minister of the former six-party coalition government in June 2011. 

 

He also served as finance minister in the previous cabinet led by the Center Party from 2007 to 2011, and as vice president of the European People's Party, the biggest political group in the European Parliament until 2012.