Finland right-wing parties agree to form government

National Coalition has joined forces with anti-immigration Finns Party and smaller groups

Finnish politics has shifted to the right, sending left-wing Prime Minister Sanna Marin into opposition.. AFP

Finland's conservative National Coalition, or NCP, winner of April's parliamentary election, has reached an agreement to form a majority government with the eurosceptic, anti-immigration Finns Party and two smaller groups, its leader said on Thursday.

"All issues have been resolved and the papers are ready," said NCP leader Petteri Orpo, a fiscal conservative set to become Finland's next prime minister, referring to the government programme.

By getting the NCP, the nationalist Finns, minority-language Swedish People's Party and the Christian Democrats to agree on a common platform, Mr Orpo shifts Finnish politics to the right and sends left-wing Prime Minister Sanna Marin into opposition.

During 11-week talks over how to govern Finland during the coming four years, the Finns and the Swedish People's Party had struggled to agree on immigration, climate policy and public finances, but reached a compromise in the end.

Mr Orpo's government is expected to curb the fiscal deficit by cutting unemployment and welfare benefits, and to tighten immigration and loosen environmental commitments.

Each policy area was subject to tough negotiations, however it was not immediately clear how strong each measure would be.