Finnish center-right government survives confidence vote

By Reuters June 20, 2017
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Finnish Minister of Finance National Coalition Party chairman Petteri Orpo (L), Finnish Prime Minister Centre Party chairman Juha Sipilä (C) and minister Sampo Terho from the New Alternative, attend a press conferance at the PM's official residence Kesäranta in Helsinki, Finland on June 13, 2017 where all parliament parties and their chairmen were summoned. PM Sipilä seeks new coalition as populist Finns Party split on Tuesday. Jussi Nukari/Lehtikuva/via REUTERS
Finnish Minister of Finance National Coalition Party chairman Petteri Orpo (L), Finnish Prime Minister Centre Party chairman Juha Sipilä (C) and minister Sampo Terho from the New Alternative, attend a press conference at the PM’s official residence Kesäranta in Helsinki, Finland on June 13, 2017. (Jussi Nukari / Lehtikuva via Reuters)

HELSINKI — Finland‘s center-right government survived a no-confidence vote on Tuesday brought on by changes in the coalition following a break-up of the co-ruling nationalist Finns Party.

The three-party government under Prime Minister Juha Sipila won parliament’s backing by 104 votes to 85.

[Finland dodges government collapse after nationalists split]

Opposition parties on Monday demanded the government resign.

Sipila last week ejected the Finns Party, which had just chosen a new leader with hardline views on immigration. But he then took back a more moderate faction of the party which broke away from it.

Reporting by Jussi Rosendahl.