Monday, October 29, 2012

Finnish eurosceptics gain local seats, keep pressure on PM

HELSINKI (Reuters) - The anti-euro Finns Party won around 12.8 percent of votes in Finnish municipal elections on Sunday, according to a preliminary count, keeping pressure on the pro-Europe government to take a tough stance on aid to euro zone states.

Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen's conservative National Coalition party won the most seats with around 21.3 percent of votes, closely followed by the Social Democrats with 20.8 percent.

The Finns Party finished fourth, behind another opposition party, the traditionally agrarian Centre Party, which won 20.2 percent.

While the election was for municipal seats, the slim lead of the top two parties showed government leaders must still contend with voters' dissatisfaction over EU bailouts and austerity measures.

Sunday's results showed the Finns Party lost some momentum from last year's parliamentary election when it won 19 percent of votes to become the leading opposition party. But it is still a jump from the 5 percent it won in 2008 local elections.

Finland, having dutifully followed EU fiscal rules, is one of the few remaining countries in the euro zone with a triple-A credit rating.

(Reporting by Ritsuko Ando and Jussi Rosendahl)

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Monday, October 29, 2012

Finnish eurosceptics gain local seats, keep pressure on PM