Left Alliance leaves the Finnish government

[Tiriol]

As reported by YLE News: Left Alliance, a leftist/socialist political party in Finland, leaves the coalition government headed by Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen.

Left Alliance leaves government

The Left Alliance has left Finland's coalition government after refusing to accept a package of spending cuts and tax rises proposed to balance the state budget.

Leftist MPs had demanded changes to the package negotiated by government party leaders, but their proposal to renegotiate the deal was blocked by the other government parties.

Left Alliance party chair Paavo Arhinmäki announced his party's departure at a cabinet meeting at the House of the Estates on Tuesday evening. The decision means Transport minister Merja Kyllönen will leave her post along with Arhinmäki, who served as the minister for culture.

Mps from the other five parties in government accepted the austerity package in full, leaving ministers from those parties free to continue in their posts.

Not entirely unexpected, although somewhat disappointing for the Social Democrats who remained in the government - now their ally in keeping at least some "left-wing" initiatives on the government's table has decided to leave them. It remains to be seen, though, if the Left Alliance has enough time to distance itself from the more unpopular government decisions before the EU Parliament elections and the Finnish Parliament elections next year.

[Dr. Trainwreck]

Wait, so Finland also wants to try austerity?

This is just depressing.