Finland’s main party to open coalition talks with far-right faction

Petteri Orpo, likely successor of Sanna Marin as PM, says government should be in place by June

Finland’s conservative National Coalition party has said it will open formal coalition talks with the far-right, anti-immigration Finns party and two smaller groups to form the country’s next government.

Petteri Orpo, who is likely to succeed the Social Democrat Sanna Marin as prime minister after his NCP finished first in the 2 April elections, said negotiations would start on Tuesday and a government should hopefully be in place by June.