Finland's new four-party government, which emerged as a result of the general election in April after several months of talks, has distributed new ministerial portfolios and made announcements on its course of action.
The liberal-conservative National Coalition Party, the formal winner of the election, received eight ministerial positions, including that of prime minister, occupied by its head Petter Orpo. Its MP Elina Valtonen will become Finland's new foreign minister, whereas Antti Hakkanen, who served as justice minister in PM Juha Sipila's cabinet in the late 2010s, will now become the minister of defense.
The national-conservative Finns Party received seven posts, with party leader Riikka Purra set to become the minister of finance.
The Christian Democrats confirmed their willingness to join the government, with party leader Sari Essayah becoming the new minister of agriculture and forestry. Lastly, the Swedish People's Party received three ministerial posts (with minister of European affairs arguably the "heaviest") and is expected to publicize its selections on Monday. However, its head, Anna-Maja Henriksson, is likely be the only minister from the outgoing centre-left government to carry over to the new cabinet. She stressed tensions with the nationalist Finns Party and said she was "somewhat surprised" that her party had ended up in the coalition after all.
What to Expect of Finland's New Coalition Government?
Orpo ran as a fiscal conservative, and Finland's new government aims to move economic and other policies firmly towards the right – among others, influenced by the Finns Party. Overall, the new approach that implies a mix of restrictions and bonuses, has been likened to "carrots and sticks."
Among others, it has set itself a primary target of improving the Finnish economy by curbing the increase in the national debt, which has been growing steadily since 2008. According to the European Commission, Finland was the only EU country where the public debt-to-GDP ratio rose last year.
With that being said, the National Coalition Party only invited allies into the new government that agreed on a 6-billion-euro adjustment to Finland's economy. This target is based on the Ministry of Finance's calculations aimed at allowing Finland to manage its debts and maintain the welfare state in a way that is economically sustainable.
To achieve this, the government plans a combination of raised and lowered taxes and targeted cuts in areas with greatest government expenditure, such as social and healthcare services. While the cuts are intended to involve social security benefits, Orpo specifically pledged that it won't impact the most vulnerable strata of the society.
In a separate statement, the government set a target is to bring 100,000 people into the workforce in the nation of 5.5 million people addled by demographic woes, including senior citizens who wish to do so. This target comes alongside plans to remove barriers to employment and strengthen the operating conditions of small and medium-sized companies.
More Work-Based Integration, Fewer Refugees
This will be done through strengthened work-based immigration and integration. By contrast, the arrival of refugees in Finland will be limited. The country furthermore plans legislative changes opening for the imprisonment or deportation of illegals. Asylum would be granted for a maximum of three years, after which the need for international protection should be reassessed.
Obtaining a permanent residence permit will in the future require six years of residence, a language proficiency test, a two-year work history without long-term unemployment or income support, and an impeccable record. Citizenship rules are also to be tightened accordingly, with expanded minimum residence, income and language proficiency requirements tightened.