HELSINKI, Finland — There is hardly a country on the continent that has been a more steadfast supporter of the European Union than Finland. For more than 20 years, the voters here have returned the same three parties to power in various coalition governments, with few changes in policies.
The True Finns’ leader, Timo Soini, waited for election returns Sunday. His party won 39 seats.
Eva Persson for The New York Times
People joked that watching Finnish politics was about as interesting as watching paint dry.
Until now.
In the general election last weekend, the nationalist and populist True Finn Party emerged from political obscurity after largely campaigning on the evils of the European Union and its bailouts of Greece and Ireland. It claimed 39 seats in Finland’s Parliament — almost eight times the number it won in the 2007 election — and it is likely to become a partner in any coalition government. more at NY Times