Finland Times

 

SDP lawmaker Erkki Tuomioja. File Photo – Lehtikuva.

The main opposition Suomen Sosialidemokraattinen Puolue (Social Democratic Party of Finland-SDP) lawmaker and former foreign minister Erkki Tuomioja on Sunday proposed an alliance with two other opposition parties, the Vihreät liitto (Green party) and the Vasemmistoliitto (Left Alliance), to press home a joint action programme.

 

According to Tuomioja, the three largest opposition parties should jointly perceive the common goals towards the next government.  

 

In his view, the political parties should form a common front in the next elections. 

 

“The SDP, Vihreät and Vasemmistoliitto have worked on all matters, large and small, based on similar political groundings. This should now ensure that these parties come together for the common good of a new government, in one political direction,” Tuomioja said while speaking at a programme in Seinäjoki.

 

Tuomioja, however, admitted that the parties will still need to apply common policies with respect to, for example, the basic income, European politics or sustainable energy relations.

 

“What is clear is that there are no uniform views of the parties as a whole, nor does it remove the many different interests and expressions of them. Yet these differences however are significantly less than those matters that separate the parties from current governmental parties,” said the SDP leader.  

 

The SDP chairman, Antti Rinne also supported the proposal for forming a political alliance with the major opposition parties.

 

Talking to the party magazine Demokraatti, he said he had discussed this vision further with Tuomioja. 

 

Rinne said Tuomioja was correct in the sense that the politics needed a new direction. 

 

“Certainly, I will exchange my opinions with the chairmen of the Green Party and the Left Alliance,” Rinne said. 

 

However, the chairman of the Green Party, Ville Niinistö does not see the possibility of any direct electoral co-operation with the SDP and the Vasemmistoliitto.  

 

According to Niinistö, the Green Party wants to primarily provide its own options, not to ‘influence block thinking.’

 

“'In elections, people should decide which will be the main ministerial party. There is a big difference in building a government programme around the Greens, whether the prime minister is of the Green Party or of the SDP,” said Niinistö.