Finnish nationalists pick hardliner in blow to coalition
JYVASKYLA: Finland’s eurosceptic Finns party, which is part of the ruling coalition, elected an anti-immigration hardliner as chairman on Saturday in a move that analysts said might lead to a break-up of the three-party government.
At a Finns party congress, 56 per cent of its members voted in favour of European Parliament member Jussi Halla-aho while 37 per cent backed the more moderate Sampo Terho. London will not be
Halla-aho, who wants Finland cowed by militants who have killed to leave the European Union, 35 people in three separate attacks on has said he would push his party is not the same party the United Kingdom but police will centre-right coalition partners anymore,” Finance Minister ask for more resources to tackle the to tighten immigration policies, Petteri Orpo told Verkkouutiset, threat from marauding assailants, and would not stick to the threean online news site close to his London police chief Cressida Dick said.partygovernmentatanycost.NCPparty,butdidnotcomment
“We must be more aggressive further. Metropolitan Police in raising the topics that As snap elections are very rare Commissioner Dick said she distinguish us from other in the Nordic country, a possible understood that people were parties... it is important to break-up of the coalition would concerned about security after push our priorities forward likely mean that Prime Minister attacks in London and Manchester more vigorously within the Juha Sipila from the Centre Party but that the British capital was a safe government programme,” Hallawould try to form a new coalition city that would not be intimidated. aho told reporters after the vote. from the current parliament. “London is a safe city and we
However, the co-ruling proThat could derail healthcare will do everything we can in our EU National Coalition Party and local government reforms power to keep you safe,” she said (NCP) said it might not want central to Sipila’s plan to balance in an interview at London police to cooperate with Halla-aho public finances. headquarters just a few steps away who was fined by Finland’s Sipila, who has yet to from Westminster Bridge where an Supreme Court in 2012 for some comment on the government’s attacker killed 5 people on March 22. comments on a blog. future, is due to meet Halla-aho “We won’t let them win and
“This (leader change) requires and Orpo on Monday. London will carry on,” she said. serious consideration. The Finns “We are highly effective at preventing attacks in this country and we will step up a gear and do our level best to stop any further attacks,” Dick said. “But as you point out, highly volatile people who are intent on doing something absolutely terrible and who are quite happy — maybe even pleased — to kill themselves and to use a low tech methods —these are difficult things to defend against.”
When asked if the Metropolitan Police needed more resources she said: “We will want more resources to help us and I am sure the same will be being said in the intelligence agencies.” “But obviously we will be reviewing, for example the number of armed officers we have and how they work, and a whole host of other things that is likely, from my point of view, to take more resources and I will be asking for them.”