CONSERVATIVES MAKE GAINS IN FINLAND

BBC:

Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen's Centre Party has won the country's general election by the slimmest of margins, official poll results show. Mr Vanhanen's party gained a single extra parliamentary seat than the Conservatives, who came a close second. The Social Democrats, who form part of Finland's centre-left coalition government, took third place. Correspondents says the Conservatives' strong showing could force Mr Vanhanen to realign his coalition. ... The Centre Party took 23.1% of the vote, the National Coalition gained 22.2% and the Social Democrats 21.5%.

The gains of the Conservatives could lead to the creation of a new centre-right government, pushing the Social Democrats into opposition for the first time in over a decade. Since 2003, the Centre Party has governed alongside the Social Democrats and the small Swedish People's Party.

Although Mr Vanhanen has so far been unwilling to discuss what would happen if support swung behind the Conservative party, its leader, 35-year-old Jyrki Katainen, said he expected his party to be within the next government.

CONSERVATIVES CAN SAVE EUROPE FROM ISLAMIFICATION, DHIMMITUDE AND FINANCIAL COLLAPSE. BUT ONLY IF THE ELECTORATE LETS THEM - BY PUTTING THEM IN CHARGE, WITH MAJORITIES. THE NEXT DECADE OF ELECTIONS IN EUROPE WILL DETERMINE THE DIRECTION OF THE CONTINENT FOR THE CENTURY. (MORE HERE.)