Finland's prime minister-elect said he will not include the euroskeptic True Finns party in the government he is attempting to form.

Jyrki Katainen said on Friday that he wants to form a six-party government including left-leaning parties, but not the True Finns.

Katainen, the head of the right-leaning National Coalition, told reporters that he was aiming to finalize discussions with the other parties by next Friday.

Uphill battle

Since the April elections, Katainen has struggled to reach agreement with potential coalition partners on issues like European bailouts and tax reforms. Katainen has repeatedly said the next government will be pro-Europe.

The inclusion of the True Finns was seen as potentially jeopardizing key European issues, like the bailout for Greece.

Author: Sarah Harman (Reuters, dpa)

Editor: Nicole Goebel