Politics | In 2021, Petteri Orpo clearly said that the coalition will not enter a government that cancels climate measures – Then the line became blurred until “No” was heard again

Politicians characteristic is to talk a lot. Even if the matter could be expressed clearly and sharply, politicians tend to fall into wordy talk, which is sometimes difficult to make any sense of.

That’s why it was painful to hear the president of the coalition in the fall of 2021 Petteri Orpon to say no.

On the chairman’s panel of last year’s Economic Defense Course from Orpo was asked is the coalition ready to join a government that will start canceling climate measures that have already been taken.

“No”, replied Orpo, and silenced the audience.

The reason was the clumsiness of the answer. The answer was simply a categorical “no”. There were no mitigations or explanations involved. Two letters and a period. That’s all. It cannot be stated more clearly than this.

Since then, Orpo has lost its clarity.

In the summer of 2022 Suomi-Areena’s chairman’s panel from Orpo was askedwhether the coalition, despite the energy crisis, still sticks to its position that climate action should not be compromised.

This time, Orpo’s answer was no longer short or categorical.

Orpo talked about the energy crisis and pointed out that because of the war in Ukraine, we have to get rid of Russian fossil energy. After this he said:

“Now we have to take care of this matter. Must be able to manage security of supply in terms of energy. We need to get rid of Russian fossil energy. We have to make sure that next winter there is heating and energy for industry. After that, we can see what all this has brought. It is now a matter of a very short term. But climate change itself has not disappeared at all.”

At this point, the host of the panel, a reporter for MTV3 Eeva Lehtimäki intervened.

“So 35 is fine for you?” Lehtimäki asked. By this he meant that Finland’s goal is to be carbon neutral in 2035.

“Climate change has not disappeared at all. Let’s see after this crisis – when this is also taken care of – where we go then”, Orpo answered and tried to change the topic. “I still have to tell chairman Andersson…”

Co-host of the panel Jaakko Loikkanen however interrupted Orpo’s attempt.

“Not when it’s said now, Petteri Orpo, the carbon neutrality goal of 2035 – will we stick to it?

“Let’s stick with it for now through this and see where we are. I’m not ready to compromise on that until we see where we are in two to three years’ time, when this current huge energy crisis is taken care of.”

I’ve listened to Orpo’s answer at least ten times and I’m still not quite sure what he wanted to say at the Suomi-Areena panel. Apparently, Orpo’s message was that the coalition is currently not ready to compromise on the climate goal. But this may have to be done in 2–3 years, when the effects of the energy crisis are better understood.

This one Wednesday of the week was the anniversary of Orpo’s non-response, because again it was time for HS and Aalto EE’s Financial Defense Course. Like last year, the course had a panel of chairpersons.

I couldn’t resist asking Orpo the same question again. Is the coalition ready to compromise on climate measures that have already been taken?

Orpo had somehow found again the beauty of a meager expression and answered:

“No.”