Finance Minister and Finns Party chair Riikka Purra has called for a reduction in the wellbeing services counties and launched a campaign aimed at preserving the status of the Finnish language. She made the comments at a meeting of the Finns Party council in Helsinki on Sunday.
Purra declared that the ‘sote’ social and healthcare services reform carried out during the previous government term has failed.
"There are too many wellbeing services counties," she said – contradicting the party’s stance as stated to the news group Uutissuomalainen (USU) on Friday.
"I would not reduce the number of counties at this point," Jani Mäkelä, the chair of the Finns Party parliamentary group, told USU. Only the prime minister’s National Coalition Party and the opposition Greens and Movement Now have so far backed a consolidation of the sote regions.
That was the recommendation of a blue-ribbon panel, which argued in a report issued Wednesday that the number of wellbeing services counties should be drastically reduced from the current 21.
According to Purra, reforming the system will be up to the next government, expected to take office in 2027.
Her speech focused on the difficult economic situation. According to Purra, the economy has drifted deep into a quagmire.
"We’re weighed down by past inaction, while new things are falling into our laps," she told party leaders.
Tougher student immigration rules on the way
In her speech, Purra also criticised changes to student immigration rules made by the previous government, suggesting they had made it too easy for students and their families to move to Finland where "they are now queuing in bread lines," she asserted.
The deputy PM said that the government plans to revise those rules, with an announcement to come "before Christmas".
The nationalist party leader also announced that her party is launching a campaign on the importance of preserving the Finnish language with the slogan "In Finnish, thanks".
"We want to cherish the Finnish language," she said, adding that it is important that immigrants are able to study Finnish.
When asked, Purra declined to comment further on the recent heated debate about racism since former Miss Finland Sarah Dzafce was forced to give up her crown due to a racist photo. Several Finns Party politicians responded by posting similar photos of themselves on social media.
