The 19-member cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, leader of the conservative National Coalition Party (NCP), was approved by the unicameral Parliament (Eduskunta) and then appointed by President Sauli Niinistö.

After seven weeks of negotiations, the NCP, which won the most seats in the April 2 general election, announced an agreement with three other political forces to form an executive that includes the far-right, Euroskeptic, nationalist and anti-immigrant Party of Finns.

The two junior partners are the Christian Democratic and Swedish People’s Party of Finland.

Given the predominance of the two senior partners, conservative and populist, the national press describes Orpo’s government as conservative nationalist and the most right-wing since World War II (1939-1945).

Orpo, 53, is a former finance and interior minister and was head of the PCBN, the country’s main conservative party.

Finland, with a population of 5.5 million and bordering Russia, joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in April.

Orpo’s cabinet wants to implement major labor and social law reforms and budget cuts in the next four years.

It seeks to substantially reduce the fiscal debt and has an intransigent position on immigration, with stricter requirements for residence permits and citizenship.

The parties of the government alliance hold 108 of the 200 seats in Parliament.

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