Helsinki: Finland`s prime minister-elect Juha Sipila said Monday he was open for negotiations with all political parties including the right-wing eurosceptic Finns Party which is seeking to enter government for the first time.
"I can`t see any problem. I personally trust (Finns Party leader) Timo Soini," said Sipila, leader of the opposition Centre Party which emerged the leader in Sunday`s election with 49 out of 200 seats.
He dismissed speculation that the right-wing party which came second with 38 seats -- ahead of the ruling conservative National Coalition Party (37 seats) and the Social Democrats (34 seats) -- would damage the Nordic country`s international reputation.
"This is Finland. We make out own decisions here," he told reporters.
Sipila added that it would "take about a month" to wrap up negotiations with potential coalition partners.
Founded in 1995 following the collapse of Finnish Rural Party, the Finns Party has been a vocal opponent of immigration and Finland`s EU membership but sought to move towards the centre of the political spectrum ahead of the election.
In March, Soini also declared that immigrants were "welcome" to Finland.
However with the EU focused on debt negotiations with Greece, the party`s opposition to eurozone bailouts -- which caused it remain in opposition in 2011 despite being the third largest party -- is expected to be a major issue in the negotiations.
Soini said ahead of the election he expected to become either prime minister, finance minister or foreign minister in line with the Finnish tradition that the three largest parties share the top government posts.
However Sipila said "trust" between the parties will be the deciding factor in who sits in the new government, along with a common view on how to relaunch Finland`s ailing economy, hit by the decline of its telecom and forestry industries.
"We have now a clear mandate to bring Finland into good shape," he said.
