[Finland] No concrete proposals for poverty package from Finland's SDP

from Newsroom Finland

The parliamentary faction of Finland's Social Democratic Party (SDP) concluded its summer conference in Turku on Tuesday with little in the way of demands for the proposed budget's poverty package. The SDP expressed its satisfaction with the budgetary proposal as it stands, and declined to make any concrete recommendations for the content of the poverty package.

The leader of the parliamentary faction, Jouni Backman (soc dem), said that the party believes that the optimal results would be achieved by directing the package towards a relatively small group of citizens, who would consequently be able to see a tangible difference in their living standards.

Negotiators from the parties in government still aim to reach a joint proposal on the poverty package before the start of the conclusive budgetary negotiations on Wednesday.

The finance minister, Eero Heinäluoma (soc dem), has already stated that there are insufficient funds to finance any elaborate new measures.

The conference was marked by an unprecedented level of agreement among the participants in their evaluation of the proposed budget. In a press conference following the meeting, Mr Backman described the debate as "exceptionally good-natured".