Finland Times

 

Leaders of the three-party alliance government-Minister of Finance Alexander Stubb (front), Minister of Foreign Affairs Timo Soini and Prime Minister Juha Sipilä at question time in parliament on Thursday. Photo Lehtikuva.

The three-party alliance government faced an unexpected crisis on Thursday as the components could not agree on the outline of the social welfare and healthcare reform commonly referred to as the Sote reform.

 

The disagreement was most intense on the issue of how many administrative regions for national health services should there be. 

 

The Suomen Keskusta (Centre Party) insisted on 18 regions, but the Kansallinen Kokoomus (National Coalition Party) considered 12 the maximum. The third component, the Perussuomalaiset (Finns Party), however, said it would accept the prime minister’s line.

 

The crisis deepened further when Prime Minister Juha Sipilä, who is also the Keskusta chief, did not agree to allow more time to settle the issue.

 

The Kokoomus had suggested more time be given until Saturday so that the party council could discuss the matter.

 

Sipilä also said if a common ground could not be found by Friday, he would “go to the president” for solution. The expression means that a new government would have to be formed.

“We will still go through finding a solution by examining the alternatives and negotiate until the morning. And if a solution is not achieved by morning, then it is possible that tomorrow we will walk to up to the president,” said Sipilä.

 

The prime minister explicitly said new elections “would be a bad alternative.” The Finnish tradition of coalition governments does not require new elections for a mid-term change.

Finance Minister Alexander Stubb, who is also the chair of Kokoomus, stressed that his party wants to remain in the government.

 

“If and when this is a government issue as the prime minister has proposed to our group then our departure or stay in the government will be decided by our delegates and it will convene on Saturday,” Stubb said in parliament.

 

The chair of Kokoomus parliamentary group, Arto Satonen said the party would not accept Prime Minister Sipilä’s proposal for having 18 administrative regions discharge the social and healthcare services. 

 

According to Satonen, the Kokoomus wants to resolve the issue and stay in the government.

 

“At this stage there is no condition to accept the proposal which was, but we are still willing to find a solution and hope it will be found,” Satonen said.

 

Local analysts believe the government parties would reach a compromise on the issue though.

 

Analysing the situation, Lauri Karvonen, a professor of politology at the Swedish language university in Turku, Abo Akademi, said on the national broadcaster Yle that the Kokoomus has been able to influence the economic policies of the coalition so far and this has created tension on the Keskusta floor. Regional policies have been essential to the Centre Party and the party’s leadership could not compromise on the issue.

 

The internal tensions of the ruling coalition so far have been mainly associated with the difficulties of the populist Perussuomalaiset in accepting joint policies, and the emerging situation is the first open major rift between the Keskusta and the Kokoomus.