Awwal 11, 1432 / April 15, 2011, SPA -- Finland's National Coalition, the party tipped to win Sunday's election, said it was sure the next government would support an EU bailout plan for Portugal although a popular opposition party remained against it, according to Reuters. Finland, unlike others in the euro zone, retains the right to put requests for funds to a majority vote in parliament. National Coalition minister Jan Vapaavuori said anti-euro True Finns and opposition Social Democratics, who support the EU but are critical of bailouts, may abstain to let a bailout vote through or agree on it as a condition of joining government. "I have full confidence that Finland will not cause any problems concerning the support package for Portugal in the future," he told reporters on Friday. But True Finns candidate Simon Elo told Reuters the party would not change its views or agree to an abstension in the parliamentary vote in order to gain seats in government. "We would lose our face in front of all of our voters. It's something we cannot do," he said. "I have a firm conviction that we shouldn't have this kind of package policy in the European Union," he said. A poll by public broadcaster YLE on Thursday showed the right-leaning National Coalition leading with 21 percent support, closely followed by the Centre Party, Social Democrats and True Finns, each with around 15 to 19 percent. Finland's current parliament is a four-way coalition of the National Coalition, Centre Party and junior partners: the Green Party and Swedish People's Party of Finland. Analysts say that assuming the National Coalition wins the most votes on Sunday, it is likely to form an alliance with other parties to ensure a majority in parliament. Vapaavuori did not deny the party may work with the True Finns as long as they could agree on a government programme. "In order to gain a place in the next government, of course the True Finns have to agree on a programme which is more pro-European than anti-European," he said. "Either it's a pre-condition for them to support Portugal in the next government, or at least not to vote against it... I'm sure that Finland will be in line with other European countries in the next government," Vapaavuori said. Support for the True Finns, led by charismatic leader Timo Soini and with just 6 of 200 seats in parliament, has nearly quadrupled since the 2007 election.
