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Katainen: Talks to Continue Over Weekend

Government formation talks will continue tomorrow, with no policy areas yet decided despite one leak to the contrary. Erkki Tuomioja, a Social Democrat MP and former Foreign Minister, had said on Facebook that a foreign and security policy was ready, before he was contradicted by Prime Minister-designate and NCP chair Jyrki Katainen.

Jyrki Katainen
Hallituksenmuodostaja Jyrki Katainen menossa hallitusneuvotteluihin perjantaiaamuna. Image: YLE

Katainen said that Friday’s negotiations had gone well, but that nothing is yet finalised and negotiations will continue tomorrow.

”All the working groups went quite well today, some of them surprisingly well,” said Katainen at a press conference held following the end of Friday’s discussions. He also denied Tuomioja’s earlier claim that the talks had produced a settled policy.

As expected, Friday’s discussions did not yield a conclusion to the debate on the next parliament’s budget deficit. The smaller parties’ hope for a change in Finland’s electoral law has not yet been fulfilled.

”The electoral law has been discussed,” stonewalled Katainen.

Sources: YLE