Riikka Purra annoyed the opposition – “Once upon a time there was nothing to worry about with money” – 2024-05-08 20:31:57

On Tuesday, MPs discussed the Government’s report on the public finance plan for the years 2025–2028.

The Treasury minister Riikka Purra (ps) emphasized in his speech that the amount of indebtedness of the Finnish state economy, almost 13 billion euros more this year, is far too much. According to Purra, the warnings of the officials of the Ministry of Finance have not been listened to with sufficient seriousness.

– This government is taking a completely wild bull by the horns, even if the public is booing and booing, Purra said.

Purra criticized the previous government for rapidly increasing spending, which cannot be justified only by the corona virus and the war in Ukraine.

– It’s about the fact that checks without cover have been written too much, when there was once money to spend. According to the left, there was no interest rate risk in the debt, the zero interest period was intoxicating, and according to rumors, the debt did not even have to be paid back, Purra criticized.

According to Purra, no credible alternative has been presented from the opposition.

– It is moral self-delusion to imagine that all the government’s actions can be opposed one by one and that growth will take care of the debt, he said.

Purra said he hopes that the additional adjustments made now will be sufficient.

Lindtman: “The government clung to Purra’s scissors with both hands”

Chairman of SDP Antti Lindtman according to “Finland has drifted into a spiral of further cuts and misery due to the mistakes of the right-wing government”. According to Lindtman, the first mistake was to leave strengthening the tax base out of the selection of means.

– Another mistake was causing labor market chaos. The Purran-Orpo government made its most fatal mistake when it neglected the growth measures and everything along with them, Lindtman criticized.

In Lindtman’s opinion, the bottom has fallen out of the government’s economic line.

– Finland has been driven into a spiral of cuts, there are no real growth measures. Instead of acknowledging the facts in the frame-up, the government clung to Purra’s scissors with both hands, Lindtman said.

According to Lindtman, SDP would, among other things, cut hundreds of millions in business subsidies, give up “increased subsidies for private health giants” and curb the use of hired doctors. SDP would also cancel the tax reductions for the highest earners, introduce a more extensive sugar tax and increase the mining tax.

Chairman of the parliamentary group of the Coalition Matias Marttinen wondered if SDP has realized how serious the public finance situation is. According to Marttinen, there is air in SDP’s actions.

– Just like knocking on an empty barrel, Marttinen said.

Minister of Labour Arto Satonen (kok) pointed out that the effects of the government’s reforms cannot be seen until they have been implemented by the parliament.

“Dressing better than growth sex”

Purra described SDP’s alternative as follows: “Tax, tax, tax”. Purra thanked the center for agreeing with the government on many issues and proposing the same actions as the government.

– This kind of responsibility suits you much better than, for example, growth sex activities for the countryside, Purra said, referring to the proposal of the city center youth.

Keskutanuoret, the youth organization of Keskustan, outlined on Sunday that sex work must become a viable rural livelihood.

Chairman of the Center parliamentary group Antti Kurvinen said that more than 11 billion euros would be saved in the city center model.

– Basic Finns, in particular, have nothing else to say but yuh yhyy the previous government, Kurvinen said. Kurvinen wondered why the government does not try to rein in the gray economy more than at present. According to him, the center would also cut the housing allowance, and increase the tax on beer and alcohol more than the government.

The center would also extend the obligation to cover deficits in welfare areas.

Minister of Municipalities and Regions Anna-Kaisa Ikonen According to (kok), this would increase the estimated costs.

Orpo: Things are really better in Denmark

Harry “Hjallis” Harkimo (liik) emphasized the importance of business success.

– Look at Denmark. A single pharmaceutical company has put the entire country’s economy in order by selling slimming drugs. Danes, by the way, all across the board earn a thousand euros more per month than Finns. That’s what we have to strive for, and that requires the success of companies and economic growth, he said.

Prime minister Petteri Orpo (kok) said he was inspired by Harkimo’s speech. According to Orpo, things “really are better” in Denmark.

– The things that we are doing in Finland have been done there, Orpo said.

According to Orpo, with SDP’s alternative, Finland would be in the EU’s excessive deficit procedure, and according to Orpo, the center’s alternative is also based on air. He expected more concrete alternative proposals from the opposition.

The greens Saara Hyrkko mentioned that before the elections the coalition demanded a cut in business subsidies.

– How was it easier to cut from children and young people than from business subsidies? he asked.

Orpo defended himself by saying that the government has cut business subsidies when, for example, subsidies for electrification end in 2026.

– In Kehysrihi, business subsidies were cut by 70 million euros. These are not insignificant. Business subsidies cannot be cut endlessly, companies’ competitiveness must be taken care of, Orpo said.

Purra, on the other hand, mentioned that measures regarding business subsidies and the gray economy did not progress in the previous government periods either.

“There’s enough money for the squeamish”

The Left Alliance Hanna Sarkkinen claimed that “only those with a thick bank account will soon get services”. He pointed out that at the same time as social security surgeries, Kela compensations for private treatment will be increased.

– There is enough money for the frivolous, but not for basic services, Sarkkinen said.

The greens Atte Harjanne stressed that the central root cause of Finland’s public finance challenges is that the proportion of the working-age population in the population is decreasing.

– So what is the government doing about the maintenance relationship? Cuts off young people, weakens the prevention of health problems and curbs work-related immigration. Not like this, Harjanne said.

Chairman of the RKP parliamentary group Otto Andersson emphasized that the government will make difficult new adjustment decisions in order to break Finland’s indebtedness cycle. He emphasized that the government will not cut elementary school or early childhood education.

“Finland will not be raised with just cuts and tax increases, but with growth measures,” Andersson said.

Also chairman of KD’s parliamentary group Peter Ostman emphasized that financing society’s functions with debt money is not an ethically sustainable operating model.

The Left Alliance Laura Meriluoton according to the government, the welfare state’s structures are being destroyed in such a way that it is difficult to repair them afterwards.

– Biscuits, crisps and high-income earners have come under your special protection, he said.

Iltalehti followed the referral discussion in live text format.