Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (council) gave a speech to the European Parliament about Europe’s prospects. Members of parliament from different countries criticized the inclusion of basic Finns in the government and the cuts in subsidies.
STRASBOURG Finland’s domestic politics changed for a moment Petteri Orpon accompanied to Strasbourg. The European Parliament invites the heads of state to speak and now it was Orpo’s turn. Orpo shared his views on the needs and future of Europe. Politically, the MEPs representing the other side criticized the politics of Orpo’s home country.
Group speaker of the Social Democrats Iratxe García Pérez said that the extreme right has entered government in five countries and hundreds of regional and municipal governments. He was unhappy that Finland is one of these countries.
He intervened in ongoing disputes in Finland.
– Is the best way to defend workers’ rights to facilitate dismissals, downplay discussion and limit strike rights? Is the best way to limit poverty and inequality to limit public funding for pensions, unemployment benefits, homes and parental benefits?
– Are you proud that the finance minister appears on social media with big scissors, satisfied that he is cutting people’s incomes and social security?
According to García Pérez, Orpo’s trust in the far-right is a real threat to democracy and Europe
– Do we want a Europe that is a prisoner of the fear of denying climate change or a Europe that fights against it and uses the green transition to create prosperity?
The left did not want to welcome
The left group was on the same lines.
– Normally, I would happily and proudly welcome a Nordic prime minister. I can’t do that today, mepp representing the Left Nikolaj Villumsen said.
According to him, Orpo is pushing down trade union and social rights. He criticized the cuts in unemployment insurance and other subsidies and the lack of a system for agreeing on wages.
– The Europe you represent is not the Europe I want.
According to him, in governments that combine the far right and the right, people first speak for ordinary people, but quickly forget them.
According to the greens, there must be carrots for climate action
Representative of the Greens Philippe Lamberts criticized that Orpo talked a lot about competitiveness, but did not connect it to the green economy. According to him, public money is needed for climate action investments.
– You can’t demand more carrots and save money at the same time. What are carrots if not public money?
According to him, you have to choose either regulation or support. The United States and China have ended up with subsidies.
Pirkko Ruohonen-Lerner (ps) took the podium to tell that Perussuomalaiset is not an extreme right-wing party.
Estonian representative of the ID group Jack Madison spoke in Finnish and was satisfied that both Finland and Estonia are now members of NATO.
– We know from our shared history that Russia always waits for the moment when its border neighbors are weak.
The leader of the coalition Petri Sarvamaa came to point out that it is not up to the EU Parliament to bring domestic political disputes.
Orpo also replied that the labor market needs to be reformed, because the goal is to create 100,000 jobs and take care of the welfare model. According to him, there are no extreme right-wingers in the Finnish government.
Chairman of Orpo’s own group, the EPP of the European People’s Party Manfred Weber praised Orpo, the government and the president Alexander Stubbia.
In his actual speech, Orpo discussed, among other things, competitiveness, the internal market, the situation on the Eastern border, supporting Ukraine and preparing for crises.