In a significant political development, Petteri Orpo, the leader of the conservative party in Finland, has been elected as the country's prime minister by the parliament. Orpo will lead a coalition government comprising four parties, including the far-right Finns Party, which intends to implement strict measures on immigration. This move comes after Orpo's victory in the April elections and subsequent negotiations to form a coalition government, as reported by AFP. 

With 107 members in favour, 81 opposed, and 11 absent, the parliament expressed its support for Orpo, who emerged victorious in the April elections. His victory initiated negotiations for a coalition government, which have been ongoing since then. 

Later today, President Sauli Niinisto is scheduled to formally appoint Orpo as the new prime minister, succeeding Sanna Marin, whose Social Democrats finished third in the elections, trailing Orpo's National Coalition Party (NCP) and the Finns Party. 

The coalition, in addition to the NCP and the Finns Party, includes the smaller Swedish People's Party (RKP) and the Christian Democrats. Orpo's campaign emphasised austerity, with a pledge to reduce spending by six billion euros over a four-year period. 

Last week, the newly formed coalition introduced a "paradigm shift" in immigration policy. The plan aims to reduce the number of refugees accepted through the UN refugee agency from 1,050 per year to 500 and to establish separate social security benefit systems for immigrants and permanent residents. Experts have raised concerns that these proposed changes may potentially violate the Constitution. 

Finns Party leader Riikka Purra also highlighted plans to tighten the criteria for obtaining permanent residency and citizenship. These reforms reflect the coalition's focus on addressing immigration-related challenges and enforcing stricter regulations in this domain. 

Following a narrow defeat in the 2019 elections, Orpo made the decision for his party to enter opposition rather than join a coalition with the Social Democrats. He embarked on the task of rebuilding the party's image as a traditional centre-right economic alternative, emphasising a willingness to reduce public spending and limit tax increases. 

Image Source: Mint