Centre Party leader Annika Saarikko has told commercial broadcaster MTV that her party will not enter government with the same four coalition partners after the upcoming election.
Saarikko's party is currently in a five-party coalition with Prime Minister Sanna Marin's Social Democratic Party, the Green Party, the Left Alliance and the Swedish People's Party.
However, tensions have frequently arisen between the Centre party and the other parties throughout this parliamentary term.
In December last year, Marin warned the Centre party that its decision to vote to strike down parts of the Nature Conservation Bill was the "the last time" coalition rules would be broken.
A number of Centre Party MPs also voted against the government in February over long-awaited changes to Finland's transgender legislation.
Saarikko told MTV that the main reason the current coalition could not be reformed is their divergent views on Finland's future economic policies. She also noted that the crises this government has faced — including the Covid pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine — was "the glue" that held the government together.
Despite ruling out an exact replica of the current coalition, Saarikko said in a recent interview with Yle News that her party is willing to enter coalition talks with any of the individual parties.
"The Centre Party is not saying no to any party before the elections. Our position, and our chance to go to the government, depends on the voters and how much trust they have in us," Saarikko said.
Finland's parliamentary elections will be held on Sunday 2 April, with advance voting open from 22 March. Read Yle News' really simple guide to the 2023 elections here.
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