THE ECONOMIST: FINNISH elections do not usually excite much attention abroad, still less apprehension. A long border with Russia gives Finland strategic significance, but it is a small place with a reputation as a stolid member of both the European Union and the euro zone. Most election campaigns feature a dozen or more parties. The one that wins the most votes invites two or three others to form a coalition—and nobody loses much sleep. But the election on April 17th may break the mould because of the astonishing rise of a populist Eurosceptic party, the True Finns, led by Timo Soini.Many Finns are bored by their familiar politicians. A recent survey found that one-third of voters could not name the four parties in today’s coalition. By contrast, Mr Soini’s soundbites about helping impoverished Finns instead of bailing out profligate Greeks or handing cash to immigrants have struck a chord. The True Finns took just 4.1% of votes in the 2007 election, but they are now almost level in the polls with the three bigger parties (see chart). It is anybody’s guess which party will emerge as the biggest on polling day, and thus probably supply the next prime minister. » | Thursday, April 14, 2011
