True Finns enlist Matti Putkonen for election campaign

[The Ripper]

Timo Soini, chair of the True Finns, on Saturday announced that Matti Putkonen would be working for the party's election campaign in the approaching general elections.

Putkonen, a veteran trade union lobbyist, quit the Social Democratic Party after over four decades of membership just a few days before. When leaving the SDP he blasted it for drifting into "an irresponsible and indefinite state of green blur".

According to Putkonen he decided to become "Soini's soldier" because Soini was the only party leader in Parliament who had presented an alternative for the current climate policy that would secure the operation of Finnish industry and help create a platform for its strong growth.

Soini himself has been trying to court leftwing voters by labelling his party a labour party without Socialism. Putkonen's move to join the True Finns is expected to make the party more appealing to those who have traditionally voted SDP.

Speaking at the True Finns' party council meeting on Saturday, Putkonen said he wanted to serve his new party, adding that the rumours of him being interested in running for Parliament were mere rumours.

STT

http://www.helsinkitimes.fi/htimes/domestic-news/politics/12120-true-finns-enlist-matti-putkonen-for-election-campaign-.html

[Eldritch]

I have to say I lolled at the Helsinskaja Pravda's teeth-grinding, despair-oozing editorial (http://www.hs.fi/paakirjoitus/artikkeli/Sdpllä+on+vaikeuksia+vastata+murrokseen/1135259393263) about this.

While they may have a point that Putkonen may deter traditional Centre party voters from defecting to the True Finns, that hardly matters since the Centre already have so roundly defeated themselves in next year's elections.

Time for Jutta Urpilainen to search her closet for another pair of fishnet stockings and an even more revealing cocktail dress. :eek: