The bill for emissions that destroyed the welfare state of previous generations should not be left to young people.
Elokapina has drawn attention in its demonstrations to the fact that the speeches and actions of politicians do not support each other. According to the protesters, climate change requires much more effective countermeasures than the Finnish political system has been able to do so far.
Whatever one thinks of Elokapina’s operating methods, the movement’s attention to the Finnish political system is not entirely wrong.
There is a contradiction between deeds and speech in other areas of life as well.
Mannerheimintie could also be cut off by defenders of the welfare state.
Recent population forecasts published by Statistics Finland show that the population will start to shrink in more than ten years, the labor force is already shrinking and the dependency ratio is deteriorating. The Finnish countryside is deserted. Only a few city centers will remain vibrant.
Pension scheme and public finances are going far too hard. Young people may have to bear an increasing burden through increasing fees. Payments for work are a burden on competitiveness.
Climate and welfare state concerns have alignments.
Developments that threaten the welfare state have been noticeable for a long time, from one government term to another. Countless forecasts and scenarios built by experts prove that Finland is on a path that leads to big problems.
Solutions that change the direction of development are known. They have been deficient because it is generally assumed that there is still plenty of time for change. Politics and the Finnish administration have ended up protecting old ways of working – and themselves – because really effective actions can hurt the electorate. But the later the reorientation measures are left, the more expensive and painful they will be.
Elokapina urges Finland to immediately change its direction towards climate neutrality. In the same way, we must demand that Finland change direction towards the sustainable development of the welfare state. Young people should not be left with a bill for emissions that destroy the welfare state of previous generations.
However, it does not seem very likely that the police would sometimes lift endurance rebels who had cut off the street in front of the Parliament House. The pressure for change, for deeds, is not growing parliamentary or foreign. Finland continues its journey towards the loss of population and well-being.
The author is the editorial editor of HS.
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