主播大秀

On air at 1100GMT: Finland going to the right

| Monday, 4 April 2011 | 12:00 - 12:30 GMT

It's been described as a total collapse of the centre. The True Finns, a nationalist party, has taken nearly a fifth of votes in Finland's general election. The True Finns finished just behind the conservative NCP and the Social Democrats on around 19%.

Although they haven't won enough seats to becoming the ruling party, the strong showing for the True Finns means the anti-euro party will at least "get an invitation to talks" on a new government.

ErkoRintala tweets,
Goodbye international,open,modern Finland.Welcome to the dark ages where nobody different is accepted.Sad day for my dear Finland.
But across Europe their strong showing could have wider implications. While the Social Democrats have called for changes on EU bail-outs, including the planned Portuguese rescue, True Finns opposes the plans altogether and could re challenge Europe's plans to rescue debt-ridden economies.

Theoretically a hostile Finnish government could veto the package because unlike other eurozone countries, Finland's parliament can vote on whether to approve the measures.

Is it protest vote? This article says yes, it's a concious move by Finnish voters to protest at eurozone bailouts for EU "squanderers" in Greece, Ireland and Portugal.

Carl Bildt, the Swedish Foreign Minister has tweeted,
There is reason to be worried by the big gains of the nationalist populist in Finnish election. We wish a Finland that's Nordic & European.
We'll be talking to Finns about what this means for their country and the wider impact on Europe.

Plus we're inviting a number of bloggers onto the programme to talk about what is being discussed where they are in the world. Here's a couple of them

Charlie Custer, compiles list of most talked about topics on Chinese internet called the Baidu Beat and Jon Worth, writes a European politics blog

Your comments

  1. Comment sent via Twitter

    @主播大秀_WHYS Nigerian elections were anything but successful. Various cases of vote buying, voter intimidation and ballot snatching recorded

  2. Comment sent via Twitter

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  3. Comment sent via SMS

    Those leaders in northern Nigeria that stoke and fan violence risk being seen as unfit to lead Nigeria. Yahaya E. Jalingo Monrovia

  4. Comment sent via Facebook

    Jose says: I have relations in Nigeria and its amazing how much they are laughing at the insinuation of this having been their most succesful elections. They call it absurd and just a taunt to fog up how bad elections and political takeovers have been in Africa.

  5. Comment sent via SMS

    D election was free &credible but some criminal element want to use dis avenue to carry out crime

  6. Comment sent via SMS

    Every thing is calm and cool here in Ilorin,kwara state,nigeria and we don鈥檛 hope to see violence at all.Abdulmalik Usman.