Copenhagen, 16 June 2023 (dpa/MIA) - Finland's incoming conservative prime minister Petteri Orpo promised to take a tougher stance on migration after he managed to cement four parties into a ruling coalition after weeks of post-election negotiations.

Orpo's National Coalition Party (NCP) agreed to work with the right-wing populist party The Finns, formerly known as True Finns, who support a eurosceptic and anti-immigration agenda.

The coalition agreement was expected to be finalized at the weekend.

Orpo let it be known that one his top priorities was reforms to immigration, saying the the goal of his government is "a strong and caring Finland."

"If Finland is strong, Finland will be able to take care of the basic needs of its citizens and the security of Finland."

Riikka Purra, leader of the Finns party, said the Nordic nation would see a "paradigm shift" on migration with policies that include: hardening rules on family reunifications and the conditions for granting asylum; lowering the refugee quota to 500 individuals per year; and shortening the duration of residence permits.

According to Purra, the immigration of skilled workers will also be more strictly controlled.

Orpo will succeed centre-left Social Democratic Prime Minister Sanna Marin.

Orpo's NCP emerged as the strongest force in the parliamentary elections in April, ahead of the right-wing populist The Finns and the centre-left Social Democrats.

Even before the formal coalition announcement, opposition parties had criticized the alliance as aiming to weaken workers' rights.

The incoming government has said it plans to cut unemployment benefits, make it harder to strike, and abolish sick pay for the first day of illness.

Income tax is to be cut by half a billion euros during the legislative period, with the focus on offering relief to low and middle income earners. This cut is to be financed by an increase in value-added tax. The VAT on many products and services - including medicines, cinema visits and cultural events - is to be raised from 10% to 14%.

The Finns will get seven Cabinet posts, only one less than Orpo's NCP. Purra could reportedly take over the Finance Ministry, but there has been no official announcement on the Cabinet make up yet.

No one from The Finns has any experience in government.

The governing coalition also include the Swedish People's Party and the Christian Democrats.

By Finnish standards, the formation of a government took much longer than usual. According to a report by Finnish public broadcaster Yle, there has only been one occasion when it took longer: in the early 1950s, when the process took 79 days.

Photo: MIA archive