Finland’s coalition is on brink as key partner loses faith

Bloomberg

A key partner to Finland’s ruling Social Democrats said she is losing faith in the coalition’s credibility, signaling the government of the Nordic region’s only euro member has edged closer to a collapse.
The government is bristling over a failure to agree on a common view to the economy and spending measures. Talks went into their seventh day as Premier Sanna Marin offered compromise proposals the Center Party continued to reject. “A compromise won’t be enough, we need a common direction, an agreement on what the ruling parties want for this country,” Center’s leader Annika Saarikko told reporters on Tuesday. “I am still asking after enough common denominators to give the government the credibility it needs to continue. Our faith in the government’s ability to function is wavering.”
Meanwhile Marin insisted all parties will need to compromise to come to an agreement on how much stimulus, and for how long, Finland needs. A deal was still possible, she said, adding that it was also possible a deal wouldn’t be reached, and signaled she would not preside over a minority government should the Center Party quit.
The negotiations intended to hammer out a spending framework for the next four years were originally intended to last for two days, but broke into disarray as pent-up tensions emerged within the five-party coalition half way through
its term.