Change of government on the cards in Finnish elections

There could be a changing of the guard in Finland, with the opposition Centre Party led by Juha Sipila favourite to win elections on Sunday. Opinion polls suggest that Sipila could become prime minister of a coalition including Eurosceptic nationalists. He would replace Alexander Stubb, who has led a broad pro-European and pro-NATO coalition government. Sipila says he is open to including the Finns Party, led by Timo Soini, who opposes bailouts and wants Greece to leave the eurozone. Much of the campaign has been focused on voter dissatisfaction over what is being done to revive the economy. One local resident told reporters: “The first priority should be to stop taking more debt, and do some savings, and make sure we will have work, and that it’s profitable for people to work and not stay home or be unemployed.” Recent opinion polls show the opposition Centre Party leading by at least seven percentage points. Experts say coalition talks might not be straightforward, however, and could take several weeks.