While many Eurosceptic parties in Europe achieved historical successes in this year’s EP elections, Finland’s populist Finns Party was unable to fulfil its own high expectations. With the eurozone crisis at least temporarily subsiding and Finland’s own economy struggling, the party has been unable to find a new electoral trump card. Facing a changed political climate and stiffer competition, the party is currently toning down its criticism of the EU, as indicated by its recent decision to join the British Tories in the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group.
This commentary is the first in a new EPIN series aimed at examining the political landscape in the EU after the 2014 elections to the European Parliament.
Tuomas Iso-Markku is Research Fellow at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA).
