Finland's eurosceptic True Finns party has withdrawn from talks to form a new government, its leader said today after disagreeing with the country's top two parties over the Portugal bailout.
The move will not affect Finnish backing on the Portuguese rescue package because the prime minister-elect has secured the backing of the second biggest party and smaller parliamentary groups.
The Finnish parliament's grand committee will vote tomorrow to grant prime minister-in-waiting Jyrki Katainen a mandate to back Portugal's bailout .
Mr Katainen will attend a meeting on Monday of euro zone finance ministers to approve the €78 billion package.
"We will not take part in the government negotiations, with their stance... The views are so different, they aren't compatible," Timo Soini, the leader True Finns, the third largest party, told reporters.
True Finns was the only party to increase the number of parliamentary seats it won in April elections after a campaign focused on criticising the European Union's bailout plans, and was widely expected to join the new government.
The decision to stay out of a coalition marks a rare move in the in the Nordic country's consensus system.
"We won the election with this line, and we would betray that line if we would change or compromise it. And I do not want any privileges, it would be false," Mr Soini said.
With the leading National Coalition and second-biggest Social Democratic party holding a combined 86 of the 200 parliamentary seats, any coalition would also be dependent on support from multiple, smaller parties.
"It will be a government of losers," Mr Soini said.
Reuters