Government program | Center’s Saarikko: “I don’t recognize the great speeches of basic Finns as having come true”

Policy|Government program

On Friday introduced Petteri Orpon the government program of the future government is very coalition-like, says the chairman of the centre Annika Saarikko.

“The handprint of basic Finns can be seen mostly in immigration matters, which is of course very unfortunate from the point of view of work-based immigration. Elsewhere, I don’t recognize the great speeches of basic Finns that were heard during the elections as having come true.”

Saarikko particularly criticizes the fact that, according to him, the economic figures and texts presented in the government program do not match.

“Many good goals have not been allocated a single euro of money, or there are cuts behind the beautiful words.”

Center has already previously statedthat it is ready to support some of the government’s projects also from the opposition. According to Saariko, the program presented on Friday also includes performances suitable for the city center.

“For example, a sensible natural resource policy and asset protection, or increasing certain family benefits are things that feel right to us.”

Instead, according to Saariko, the cuts to social and health services and, for example, issues related to the financing of welfare areas and municipalities’ state contributions are cause for concern.

“Between the lines and on the lines, you can read a lot of centralizing actions, which are a big risk for local services both in rural areas and in cities. That’s probably my biggest concern.”

According to Saariko, however, the large cuts in the program that resulted from the government negotiations led by Orpo and the coalition were to be expected.

“If you’re talking about six billion, then yes, it means exactly these kinds of decisions. But this is a government that looks like the winners of the elections, and then they are responsible for its consequences.”

Saarikon in my opinion, the problem with the program is that at the same time as social and health services are subject to significant cuts, the taxation of the well-off is reduced. According to him, balancing the economy is necessary, but the center would not have gone down the path of tax cuts.

“On a case-by-case basis, we will support certain government solutions, but the program will show that there are many value choices that are not ours.”