Tuesday November 26, 2024

RKP to continue govt formation talks with few changes to immigration policy

Published : 27 May 2023, 15:56

Updated : 27 May 2023, 23:26

DF Report

RKP leader Anna-Maja Henriksson. File Photo: Finnish government by Fanni Uusitalo.

The Suomenruotsalainenkansanpuolue (Swedish People’s Party of Finland-RKP) on Saturday decided to continue the negotiation talks to form the government with few changes to the tightening immigration policy agreed by three other parties.

RKP leader Anna-Maja Henriksson announced the decision at a press conference in the afternoon after about a four-hour long meeting of party´s parliamentary group.

The RKP parliamentary group at the meeting reviewed the immigration and climate issues and took the decision following the threat issued by the radical right political party Perussuomalaiset (Finns Party) to quit the negotiation talks, if the tightening immigration policy is not agreed.

The Kansallinen Kokoomus (National Coalition Party-NCP) and the SuomenKristillisdemokraatit (Christian Democrats of Finland-CD) also supported the tightening immigration policy but the RKP has been opposing it from the very beginning.

Perussuomalaiset leader Riikka Purra on Friday reiterated that her party would not participate in a government that does not significantly tighten immigration policy.

Perussuomalaiset´s proposal included various criteria to restrict immigration including rising minimum monthly income requirement for work-based immigration from outside the EU.

Perussuomalaiset also demanded relaxed climate policy, which has been opposing by RKP too.

The four political parties led by Kokoomus leader Petteri Orpo continued the negotiation talks on Saturday for the fourth week to form the new government.

Earlier in last week, Orpo said that he was expecting a significant progress in the negotiation talks during this week to form a new government.

The four parties started the formal negotiation talks at the House of the Estate on May 2 with the view to form a four-party alliance government.

Earlier on April 27, Kokoomus Chairman Petteri Orpo announced that his party decided to hold official discussions with the radical right political party Perussuomalaiset, RKP and the CD.