The Finns want to make Greece The Issue

"If Greece isn't the issue, we will make it the issue," Soini told the Finnish daily Aamulehti, a few days after news reports indicated that a third Greek bailout package might hit €10-20 billion..

Soini has been a vocal opponent of any Finnish contribution to the two previous Greek bailout packages and to the European Commission's crisis efforts.

These issues are why Finland is likely to contribute to the predicted general rise of the hard right in the May EU vote.

The Finns' outspoken euroscepticism is one of the three top reasons why it won over 19 percent in the 2011 Finnish parliamentary elections, according to a major study by the Finnish ministry of justice

The party is fielding a trio of heavy-hitters for the EU vote: well-known eurosceptic MP Jussi Hallo-aho, former christian democrat Toimi Kankaanniemi and current MEP Sampo Terho.

The Finns seem set for victory anyway. Even 15 percent would be a significant advance compared to the nine percent the party gained in the 2009 European parliamentary elections.

Back then they had entered into an electoral alliance with the Christian Democrats and in the intervening years the party has seen a surge in support, climaxing in the 2011 national elections.

This time, no such alliance has been made and the party is likely to get two or even three seats.

The Finns' Soini narrows the political alternatives in the European elections down to a choice between the austerity and bailout politics of the National Coalition's prime minister Katainen, and the euroscepticism of Soini himself.

He says that as leaders, Katainen and he represent "the only parties that have been consistent on the issue".

"The Finns have objected to the bailout packages and the National Coalition party has supported them," said Soini.

"The Centre Party has supported these measures while in government and objected to them when in opposition, and the Social Democrats have done likewise."

But internal rumblings within the Social Democrats might change the playing field.

Trade union leader Antti Rinne from the party's left flank recently announced that he would challenge Urpilainen for the position as party chair, a move that has forced Urpilainen to adjust her positions..

“This Europe, that we currently inhabit, is not the Europe that the Social Democrats want. We need to show that we want a more social Europe”, Rinne told the national television channel, calling for a partial write-down of Greek sovereign debt.

Finnish voters will elect 13 MEPs to the 751-seat European Parliament on 25 May.