Finland Times

 

The leader of the main opposition Perussuomalaiset (Finns party), Timo Soini in front of Yle office before a programme on Saturday. Photo Lehtikuva.

The leader of the main opposition Perussuomalaiset (Finns Party), Timo Soini on Saturday said that the True Finns will not support for additional bailout package for Greece in the next parliamentary regime.

 

Talking to Yle in its breakfast programme Ykkösaamu, the Finns party leader also appealed to the Suomen Keskusta (Center Party) to reject additional assistance for Greece as they did in the outgoing parliamentary term.

 

Timo Soini also said he is ready for the Ministry of Finance officials to present six billion euros of cuts in public expenditures, but in his opinion, they should be spread out over the next 6 or 7 years.

 

"I'm sure they have good grounds (for immediate cuts), but they're the reasoning of bookkeeping officials; they don't have the political realism that comes from working within the government. Of course, you can make hard decisions, but they won't benefit everyone in the best possible way at the time," Soini said.

 

Soini said that he accepts the size of the cuts, but cutting the whole amount during the election period is too much in too short a time. The party has been talking about 2-3 billion euros in cuts during this election period.

 

In Soini's view, increases in the social security benefits index, for example, should not be cut. They play an important role in the lists of both the Kansallinen Kokoomus (National Coalition party) and the Keskusta (Centre Party). 

 

The Suomen Sosialidemokraattinen Puolue (Social Democratic Party of Finland-SDP) would halve only other automatic increases.