Akhir 20, 1432 H/March 25, 2011, SPA -- A once-obscure populist party with roots in the Finnish countryside has become a sudden political sensation, riding a wave of voter discontent with everything from immigration to bailouts for other euro members, Reuters reported. Led by a charismatic, plain-speaking politician, the True Finns have tapped into voters' economic fears and their frustration with a political establishment tainted by scandal. Less than a month before an April 17 election, the party's support in surveys has leapt to nearly 20 percent from a little more than 4 percent at an election in 2007. Analysts say they see little chance that the True Finns will succeed in getting Finland to turn its back on the European Union or the euro any time soon. Even party leader Timo Soini says this will not happen overnight. But if the party's popularity grows it could force the country to take a tougher line in EU talks, much as Slovakia did last year over aid for Greece. A proposal to get wealthy EU members to boost guarantees for a euro rescue fund, set to be decided after the Finnish election, will be a major test. Tuomo Martikainen, a professor at Helsinki University, said Finnish people had become much more disenchanted with the three main parties -- the leftist Social Democrats, the right-leaning National Coalition and the centrist Centre Party.
