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HELSINKI (AP) — The opposition Center Party has won Finland's parliamentary election but its new leader faces tough talks on forming a government following the success of the populist, anti-establishment Finns Party that placed ahead of the main government partners, the conservatives and Social Democrats.
Center Party leader Juha Sipila declared victory in Sunday's election and will take on the role of forming the new ruling coalition, saying he would approach the leaders of the three parties on Monday.
"Tomorrow the phones will be ringing, and we'll work out how to take it from there," Sipila said. "Finding trust between the future government parties is the most important factor."
The self-effacing millionaire businessman, who entered politics four years ago, said the main problem in conservative Prime Minister Alexander Stubb's current coalition had been a lack of trust among the ruling parties.
He warned that Finland, in the midst of a three-year recession, was in a "difficult" situation. "It will take 10 years to get Finland back into shape," Sipila told reporters.
Stubb had campaigned on economic issues and acknowledged his government had not made sufficient reforms. He has also advocated spending cuts of 6 billion euros ($6.5 billion) over the next four years, a proposal strongly opposed by Sipila who says half the amount in cuts would suffice.
Stubb conceded defeat.
"It's a fact that the Center Party has won the election," he said. "Now we have to focus ... on how to get Finland back on track to growth."
Finns Party leader, Timo Soini, who vehemently opposes bailouts for ailing eurozone members and advocates kicking Greece out of the euro, dropped out of government formation talks in 2011 because the other parties supported bailouts.
He described his party's performance on Sunday as a "repeat rumble" of 2011 when they rose from being a tiny political force to become the country's third largest political party, causing a political storm and headache for European countries preparing bailouts for eurozone partners.
Soini declined to discuss whether his party would take part in future government talks.
"We're here in Finland to stay because we are needed," he told shouting and clapping supporters in Helsinki. "Our work has been rewarded; let's reap the benefits."
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