Finland’s exit from the euro zone is possible and even likely in the future, eurosceptic lawmaker Sampo Terho, the frontrunner in a race to lead the co-ruling Finns party, said Friday.
With his comments, Terho moved closer to his nearest rival, the hard-liner Jussi Halla-aho – a sign of challenges ahead for the country’s unpopular three-party government.
Terho kicked off his party leadership campaign Friday, telling a press conference that it was hard for Finland to keep its exports competitive because of its euro membership.
“The only way to sustain our competitiveness is internal devaluation, which we carried out,” he said, referring to a hard-fought labour reform that sparked anti-government demonstrations and strikes in 2015.
“The other option, if looking forward to the 2020s, 2030s and 2040s, is to return to our own currency … When we take this long look, that option seems possible, even likely,” Terho said.
Terho is considered the most popular candidate for the party leadership, trailed by Halla-aho. A poll for Finnish broadcaster MTV released this Wednesday showed support for Terho among party activists at 60 percent, compared with 22 percent for Halla-aho.
He has generally taken more moderate positions than Halla-aho, a member of European Parliament who has said bluntly he would take Finland out of the euro zone and the European Union.