Finland's new political force poses euro questions

Risk of Finnish EU policy shift seen remote for nowBy Jussi Rosendahl and Rosetta Stone Language Terhi Kinnunen HELSINKI, March 25 (Reuters) - A once-obscure populist partywith roots in the Finnish countryside has become a suddenpolitical sensation, riding a wave of voter discontent witheverything from immigration to bailouts for other euro members. Led by a charismatic, plain-speaking politician, the TrueFinns have tapped into voters' economic fears and theirfrustration with a political establishment tainted by scandal. Less than a month before an April 17 election, the party'ssupport in surveys has leapt to nearly 20 percent from a littlemore than 4 percent at an election in 2007. Analysts say they see little chance that the True Finns willsucceed in getting Finland to turn its back on the EuropeanUnion or the euro any time soon. Even party leader Timo Soinisays this will not happen overnight. But if the party's popularity grows it could force thecountry to take a tougher line in EU talks, much as Slovakia didlast year over aid for Greece. A proposal to get wealthy EUmembers to boost guarantees for a euro rescue fund, set to bedecided after the Finnish Rosetta Stone language software election, will be a major test. Tuomo Martikainen, a professor at Helsinki University, saidFinnish people had become much more disenchanted with the threemain parties -- the leftist Social Democrats, the right-leaningNational Coalition and the centrist Centre Party. Combinations of those three have run the country for decadesand voters feel they have lost touch with the people. A scandalover political funding, which some say helped usher in a changeof leadership at the Centre Party, added to the image problem. "With the three old parties too similar to each other,citizens find it hard to understand their role in politics,"Martikainen said. According to a recent study by Finnish Business and PolicyForum, nearly four out of five Finns think political partieshave drifted further away from ordinary people's problems. In contrast, Soini, head of the True Finns since 1997, hascrafted an image as a man of the people. "Soini has broken the traditional rhetoric, which peoplehate. He can also create an emotional reaction, talking abouttraditional values and poor people," Martikainen Rosetta Stone English said. The party's appeal goes beyond the anti-euro rhetoric,although that has certainly helped.

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