Leader of the National Coalition Party Petteri Orpo says that Finland will have a wave of cuts in municipal jobs this autumn as the country struggles with the recession.
Speaking at the Congress of Parties in Pori, which re-elected him as an opponent, Orpo criticized the government and painted a gloomy picture of Finland’s economic situation.
He noted the global recession, the crisis in the tourism industry and the likely layoffs in the export industry.
"Finland’s challenges are just beginning," said Orpo. "As our competitiveness is not good, there is a dark time ahead for Finnish jobs."
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In his keynote address, Orpo said that this difficult economic situation also affects the public sector, as municipalities have to make tough decisions.
"There is no magic machine in the municipalities where they can withdraw cash when the money runs out, they have to make savings," Orpo said youth workers, teachers and nurses are targeted for layoffs.
Orpo’s speech was made on Sunday morning as delegates began the third day of their party meeting. In addition to being elected director, the conference representatives elected Antti Häkkänen, Elina Lepomäki and Anna-Kaisa Ikonen as Vice – Presidents and Heikki Autto as secretary of the party government.
Clear blue water between the parties
A clearer distribution of communication in the Finnish political situation Orpo said that fifteen years ago there could sometimes be little difference between parties. It has now changed.
"The textbooks taught that there are three major parties in Finland, two of which are on the board at a time," said Orpo. "Behind it was ten years of uninterrupted economic growth, a time of rising living standards. There was talk of catch sharing, for which the parties had different plans. The big picture and the direction of the future all fit more or less."
According to Orpo, the situation in 2020 is very different.
"Politics has returned to the era of alternatives," said Orpo. "The coming months will decide the direction of Finland for a decade. At such times, the government cannot sit in power for four years without its activities being constantly challenged and criticized.
Natopositive party
Orpo said that the national contact point wants to preserve the Finnish welfare state without resorting to populism or “alternative facts”.
"We do it in a tolerant way so that Finland is an open society where everyone can live their own life," said Orpo. "We do not compromise on equality and human rights. We do it responsibly so that ecological, social and economic responsibility is the guiding principle of our decision-making."
Orpo also emphasized that Finland is closely linked to the European Union and an active member of the UN – and that the national contact point wants Finland to join NATO at some point.
"We have an alternative to Finland’s current direction," said Orpo. "Our options are stability, the economy, work and the future. I hope politics."