Immigration|According to Riikka Purra, the state is not the savior of the municipalities’ finances. According to Purra, municipalities can do well compared to the state or welfare regions.
Prime minister Petteri Orpon (kok) thinks the opposition constantly gives the wrong impression that the government would hinder work-based immigration. According to him, it reduces the attractiveness of Finland as a destination country.
Orpo presented the argument at a panel of party chairmen organized by the Association of Municipalities, where the governing parties and the opposition squarely clashed over issues such as immigration policy.
Orpo’s claim raised a lot of objections in the opposition. Sdp chairman Antti Lindtman according to the Prime Minister seems to think that criticizing the government’s policy causes problems for Finland’s image, when the actual problem is the government itself with, for example, racism noises.
According to Lindtman, the government should also abandon its proposal for a three-month deadline, during which the immigrant should find a new job or leave the country after the end of the employment relationship.
Parties the chairmen were asked their position on the proposal made by Rkp in the summer, according to which annual net immigration should be kept at at least 40,000 people. Rkp’s Anders Adlercreutz further defended the proposal citing “solid research data”.
“When we talk about why Finland has been doing poorly for a long time and Sweden is doing better, one key factor is demographic development.”
Chairman of Basic Finns Riikka Purra knocked out the idea, as the Basic Finns already did in the summer.
“Of course, I can also come up with any means of saving outside of the government program,” Purra told Adlercreutz.
“Sweden has a right-wing government whose extortion measures against low-wage immigration are considerably tougher than in Finland. We are taking steps to reduce immigration, which is harmful to us.”
The greens Sofia Virran according to the government is disconnected from the everyday life of the municipalities and does not see how many workers are needed for, for example, early childhood education and social services.
According to Petteri Orpo, the proposals related to immigration in the government program will be adhered to, and there is no need for the government to set a numerical target for net immigration in accordance with the Rkp’s proposal. According to him, the government has promoted work-based immigration, among other things, so that processing times for permits have decreased considerably.
The center Antti Kaikkonen said that he was worried about the impression created by the government’s actions, that people are not wanted in Finland “and even now people would have to leave”. Not everyone would set a numerical target for immigration. According to him, it is needed based on population development, while the birth rate in Finland should rise.
Chairmen evaluate the financial situation of the municipalities in contradictory ways. In a survey conducted by the Municipalities Association, 40 percent of the financial directors of the municipalities estimate that their municipality’s economy is weak or very weak.
“A blind person is bad at putting up with another blind person. The government knows the challenges of the municipal economy, but frankly, they can do well there compared to the state or welfare areas. The state is not the savior in this situation of the public finances,” said Finance Minister Riikka Purra.
Represented the Left Alliance Veronika Honkasalo cancel the cuts to municipalities and welfare areas.
“It doesn’t help at all,” Petteri Orpo answered. According to him, the government has taken actions in the budget scramble that are slightly strengthening the municipal economy, and “it’s a choice”.
Both Kaikkonen and Lindtman stated that they trust municipal decision-makers rather than the government in assessing the financial situation of municipalities.
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