MORE TOGETHER – MERA TILLSAMMANS – YHDESSÄ ENEMMÄN
More together
IT’S ALL ABOUT VALUES
We in the Swedish People’s Party (Svenska folkpartiet, SFP) believe that all people have the right to make decisions about their lives and the way they choose to live them. Everyone should have the freedom to dream and turn those dreams into reality. The freedom to live in peace, without fear – in safety. The freedom to make decisions about our bodies, beliefs and opinions. The freedom to make a living and work. The freedom to be yourself.
SFP is Finland’s liberal party, and it is strongly anchored in the Nordic and European traditions. Our liberalism is built on a respect for people, individuals’ rights and liberties, gender equality and social and global responsibility. Freedom with responsibility is our view of humanity. We believe in the individual human being and his or her right and capacity to build and influence his or her life.
The SFP is the party for everyone who wants to work for a bilingual Finland. We consider our country’s bilingualism a richness and success factor. SFP is the guarantee for everybody’s right to use and be served in his or her native language, Finnish or Swedish, now and in the future.
The SFP will always defend our Nordic welfare state and everyone’s rights to equal opportunities. We want to see greater investment in education, equal care and incentivizing social protection that guarantees everyone a decent income.
Sustainable growth and a high employment rate can guarantee our welfare state in the long run. We want to reduce borrowing, as we do not want to pass a larger debt burden on to future generations. Nor do we want to raise taxes; however, we want to see more Finns working and paying taxes. We also know that most new jobs are created in small and medium-sized enterprises.
We share a responsibility for our planet and environment. The climate question is one of the biggest challenges of our time. A sustainable future demands a clear policy that encourages environmentally friendly investment and a sustainable way of life and production.
When we look at the world today, one thing is clear. The basic values we long thought self-explanatory are no longer so. Liberal values are challenged both in the east and the west, but also here in Europe, very close to home. The SFP will always defend liberal Western democracy, and we want to work to develop means forms for participation and democracy.
We in the SFP say an unconditional ‘no’ to hatred and racism. We say ‘no’ to prejudice and isolationism.
We in the SFP put humanism before selfishness, openness before closedness, and we put people in the centre – not administration or bureaucracy. We speak warmly about every person’s equal worth, not about somebody being worth more than someone else. We speak on behalf of respect the individual and against all forms of repression and hatred. We speak on behalf of looking forward and creating faith in the future – not of isolating us and going backwards. We want to create a sense of security in everyday life. We want to create a successful Finland with people at the centre.
Building a society is always, first and foremost, about values.
More jobs create even better welfare
We want to protect our Nordic welfare state. The basis for our welfare is a responsible, sustainable and long-term economic policy. If welfare is to be shared, it must be created persistently. Taking on more debt is not an alternative. More jobs create better welfare. The employment rate should be higher than 75%. This requires active measures both from political decision-makers and labour market organizations. We need to reform the labour market.
Most new jobs are created in small and medium-sized enterprises. Therefore, we need a business-friendly society in which businesses have good conditions to succeed and in which it is easy to employ people. Legislation should support and not hinder businesses. Taxation should encourage entrepreneurship.
We need a better occupational healthcare system. People should feel good at work. By reducing illness-related absence, occupational accidents and disability pension cases, we can achieve significant savings and improve everyday life for many people in Finland.
We want to
- create more jobs; the employment rate in the next parliamentary cycle should be over 75%
- direct a responsible, sustainable and long-term economic policy
- reduce state borrowing
- introduce a national programme for a better occupational healthcare system
- see a more gender-equal labour market
- see a solid parental leave reform
- secure the right to equal pay for equal work or work of equal value, regardless of gender
- make it easier to hire the first employee
- introduce a tax incentive for hiring young people
- give small businesses better conditions for growth
- have more local agreements between businesses and their employees
- scrap the needs test for foreign labour
- give the long-term unemployed real opportunities to return to work
- see more effective job centre services by allowing private employment agencies to support the public job centres, thus ensuring a better match between open vacancies and jobseekers
- make it easier for workers with partial working capacity to remain in and return to work
- compulsory deduction of debts from income should not be a block to working or setting up your own business
Fair and incentivizing taxation
The aim of our tax system is to uphold and develop our Nordic welfare state. School, care, our infrastructure, our cultural institutions and everything else that is important for us depends on taxation. That is why we need an effective, equitable and predictable tax system. The tax system should be as simple and transparent as possible so that all taxpayers know why they are paying tax.
Finland’s total tax level is among the highest in EU countries. Taxation should incentivize people to work, run businesses and promote economic growth. Income tax in Finland should be lowered in line with the OECD’s recommendations.
We want to
- see employees receive more after taxes, that is, we want income taxation to incentivize people to work
- promote entrepreneurship by keeping corporation tax at a competitive level
- scrap inheritance and gift tax when businesses and farmers pass on the business to the next generation to promote family businesses
- scrap inheritance and gift tax by replacing it with a tax to be paid when the inheritance is sold on
- make private persons’ investments in growth companies to a certain level income-tax deductible
- make private persons’ donations to institutes of higher education tax deductible
- change property tax so it does not unreasonably hit small house owners, for example
- tackle the black economy and aggressive tax planning
- increase the tax credit for household expenses
The parliamentary elections are education elections
Education is one of the strongest foundation blocks of creating security. The security for all students to attend a healthy school in their mother tongue and be taught be qualified teachers. The security that you, regardless of your family background, have the chance to study at university. The security that you have the chance to educate yourself further to get a new job.
Finland’s success is built on education, research and knowhow. A free, top-class education is the best way to create equal opportunities for all. Instead of half-baked cuts, we want to see conscious, long-term investments in education and research. These parliamentary elections are, to a large degree, education elections. The SFP is the true education party.
We want to
- secure the right to early childhood education and school education also in Swedish
- see all children over 3 have the right to four hours of free day care every day
- return the subjective right to day care
- introduce a two-year preschool
- promote gender equality through early childhood education
- make school a safe, happy place for pupils, teachers and staff
- guarantee access to good pupil care and holistic support throughout education, with special needs teachers, school social workers and psychologists readily available in early childhood education
- see three-step support with different forms of targeted support for pupils being able to function in practice
- see school secure equal opportunities for all children. School must support and encourage the pupil, but also offer greater challenges and opportunities for more demanding tasks when needed.
- develop the content of Swedish-language education to make it more attractive to Finnish-speaking pupils in Finland
- have our Swedish-speaking pupils learn good Finnish in school
- develop our bilingual pupils’ opportunity to study in native-language oriented Finnish
- see all pupils who have completed 9th grade to be able to read, do arithmetic, write and express themselves verbally. We want to stop the trend of boys, in particular, falling behind.
- see everyone receive a school-leaving certificate, which requires flexible, individually tailored solutions – here, cooperation with youth networks, the third sector and employers, in combination with active study guidance and support from multi-professional pupil care teams are key
- see existing education steps such as 10th grade, apprenticeships and rehabilitating activity developed
- secure access to qualified teachers and nursery school teachers
- maintain free education in upper secondary school and vocational education at second level
- see upper secondary school give a broad, general education while vocational education gives concrete skills for a profession
- introduce a contact teaching guarantee so that all second-level students have enough contact teaching hours
- keep third-level education free in the future
- secure the conditions for free education in citizens’ institutes, adult education institutes, working people’s institutes and people’s high schools
- secure everyone’s opportunities to gain further education to gain a new job
- promote lifelong learning – the funding base should be broadened, and we want to develop a model, through tripartite cooperation, whereby employers, employees and people who need education take part in the financing
- make third-level education basic funding long-term and predictable – it needs sufficient basic funding instead of many different short-sighted projects
- see public and private funding of research, education and innovation reach 4% of Finland’s GDP by 2025
- increase student grants and increase the income levels for them by 50%
A Finland full of well-being
We want people in Finland to be well. Good leisure activities play a central role in creating well-being. That is why we need sufficient opportunities for both exercise and cultural activities.
Finland is not just the land of the thousand lakes – it is the land of the thousand associations. Volunteer-organized events create a sense of community and quality of life. Culture, sport, local and associations’ activities strengthen identity and social capital and play an important role in our society.
We want to
- create the conditions for offering equal and gender-equal possibilities for sport training and other leisure hobbies
- increase how much people in Finland exercise, and thus their well-being
- see active measures for tackling drug abuse
- see sound, healthy schools, senior homes and other public buildings
- secure associations’ activities through freedom from taxation and avoidance of needless permit and application procedures
- see culture supported by the state, but not directed by it
- secure small theatres’ operating conditions
- see cultural policy contribute to greater diversity and a wider cultural offering
- see our cultural institutions have good operating conditions and for the Swedish-language theatre (Svenska Teatern) to have the status of a national theatre
Care should be close to people
We have had enough of the nonchalant attitude to care in Swedish. Everyone must have the right to top-class care, regardless of location or income. When you get sick you must be able to see a doctor quickly, regardless of where you live or how fat your wallet is. Care must be guaranteed in both our national languages, Swedish and Finnish.
Finland needs a care reform, but one that makes care better, not worse. In the SFP, we put people front and centre. That is why the care reform should start with the patient, not the interests of power politics. What works should be improved. We need highly specialized university hospitals and functional central hospitals. We want to secure the operating conditions for smaller hospitals, such as Porvoo, Raseborg and Jakobstad. Waiting lists will not be cut by creating new authorities but first and foremost by providing health centres with more doctors. The regions’ special characteristics and needs must be considered when care is organized.
Mental health issues are a major new health challenge. That is why promoting mental health should be made a national priority.
We want to
- have you to be able to see a doctor quickly when you get sick, regardless of where you live or how fat your wallet is.
- see more doctors in health centres
- improve the care guarantee by having people receive care faster, without needing to sit on waiting lists
- improve gender equality in care
- secure Swedish-speaking abuse treatment for underage patients
- make promoting mental health a national priority.
- make the threshold for seeking help low by securing the availability and extent of mental health care
- psychiatric care should be delivered in the patient’s own language, in Swedish or Finnish
- see more psychiatric nurses in health centres
- we want enough psychotherapists to be educated in Swedish, too
- keep the closest with emergency service within a reasonable distance of patients
- have Vaasa central hospital offer comprehensive emergency services round the clock
- give smaller hospitals have the right to carry out normal outpatient operations and maintain general emergency services round the clock
- secure the right to care for persons with functional disabilities and for persons with special needs
- give undocumented people the right to healthcare and education
- change abortion legislation to reflect modern practice in a way that keeps a woman’s right to choose in focus
Global warming should not exceed 1.5°C
Finland should work for preventing global warming from exceeding 1.5°C in accordance with the recommendations of the IPCC. Our goal is a CO2-neutral Finland by 2035. Effective limitation of global warming requires ambitious emissions targets and international cooperation. Clear, deliverable targets are also needed nationally and locally, as well as in all sectors in society. Finland must be at the forefront of creating the conditions for developing and using green, sustainable technology.
We have a particular responsibility for other living beings and flora. We must protect our ecosystem and diversity of species, as well as managing our natural resources so that future generations can continue to enjoy them.
We want to
- end coal-powered energy generation in the next ten years and increase the share of sustainable, renewable energy, both in generation and consumption.
- eliminate fossil fuels in energy production in the 2030s
- see clear investments in new technology, research, development and innovation to boost our energy and resource efficiency and reduce our energy needs
- give businesses the conditions to innovate in the fight against climate change. This demands a long-term policy that will see businesses dare to invest, develop, employ people and get opportunities to export.
- see economic instruments promote sustainable choices and support our environment and climate goals
- make Finland an active participant in and shaper of the EU’s goal-setting on reducing emissions, increasing sustainable energy and improving energy efficiency
- reduce the EU’s greenhouse-gas emissions to 55% of 1990 levels by 2030
- create a comprehensive global system for emissions trading to combat the export of emissions outside the EU
- reduce transport emissions through functional public transport, updating the car stock, increasing the number of electric cars, increasing the share of environmentally friendly and low-emissions cars through taxation measures, building relevant infrastructure and improve access to charging stations
- promoting access to electric and other low-emissions cars by, for example, directing motor tax in that direction
- make all new buildings energy effective and increase timber building construction. We want to incentivize homeowners to renovate to reduce heat loss and make their houses more energy effective.
- assess the environmental burden of products and buildings over the entire life cycle, from the beginning, that is, the extraction of raw materials, through production, distribution and usage to the final waste disposal.
- see the EU directive banning single-use plastics implemented effectively and significantly improve plastic recycling
- promote the sharing economy and strengthen our opportunities to make informed decisions on the effects our consumption has on the environment and climate
- preserve natural diversity and biodiversity and implement continuous, strong action to reduce eutrophication in the Baltic Sea
- make Finland strive for carbon-sink calculation solutions that are based on research and which properly consider the forests’ national circumstances and special characteristics
- strengthen our carbon sinks through long-term agriculture, forestry and active forest care
- have sustainable fishery on the Baltic Sea
Everyone has the right to a safe everyday life
In our Finland, no one should fall behind and no one should need to live in fear. We want to see society develop sustainably, without the most vulnerable being forgotten. We must end the binary stratification of society. We want to hinder and prevent exclusion.
Our social security needs to be reformed. Social security should incentivize people. It should always be more worthwhile to accept work than to turn it down. At the same time, social security should guarantee everyone a decent income. Social security should be reformed as part of a larger package which also includes parental leave, day care and taxation.
To guarantee safety, the resources of the policy, rescue services and courts need to be secured.
We want to
- make social security incentivize people and guarantee a decent income – we need a holistic reform of social security
- introduce a common cost ceiling for medicine, healthcare and travel costs
- see a functional Kela (social security institution) taxi service
- secure access to the police and rescue services nationwide
- secure sufficient resources to police, prosecutors and the courts
- tackle violence in relationships and families, including making restraining orders more effective
- increase the numbers of shelters and rape crisis centres
- introduce a holistic reform of sexual crime legislation
- tackle hate-related violence and repression
- prevent and stop female genital mutilation
- regulate boys’ circumcision by law
- help and protect victims of human trafficking and reduce demand for purchasing of sex
- reform the law on transsexual persons to make it conform with international conventions on human rights
- prevent online bullying
- introduce measures to reduce online crime, particularly to tackle sexual violence against children and young people online
- give enough resources for debt advice and see more reasonable statutes of limitation for credit record entries
- secure face-to-face service, particularly in the public service
- see active measures taken against gambling addiction
Growing old must be made safe
We want to see a senior-friendly society where all seniors can feel safe. When you grow old you should be able to live safely in your own home for as long as you want to. But when you can no longer live at home, there should be a safe new place for you to live. An important part of feeling safe when one grows older is receiving services in one’s native language, which must be guaranteed.
We want to
- see home help and home nursing work
- see you be able to live in a new, homely place when you can no longer live at home. For that reason, there should be enough assisted living places available at a reasonable cost.
- see all family carers have equal rights to compensation and rest. Have family carers’ compensation be transferred to Kela
- give older people encouragement and opportunities for training to use digital technology, virtual networks and online health portals
- secure advice and online services for older people in both Swedish and Finnish and for them to be available in an understandable format, easily accessible and easy to use
- give municipal senior councils concrete influence on the development of services for seniors
- provide real opportunities to take part in working life after pension age
- reduce older people’s loneliness
- establish a national ombudsman for seniors
- see the guaranteed pension deliver a decent income
- promote opportunities for voluntary work in senior care
Making Finland the world’s most child-friendly country
We want to offer all children an equal, good start in life. All children must have the right to high-quality early childhood education, regardless of their family background. It should also be easier for parents to combine family and working life flexibly. We want to reduce child poverty, which is on the increase.
We want to set the bar high – Finland should be the world’s most child-friendly country. That is why we now need a strong political will to shape our society in a child-friendly direction.
We want to
- reform parental leave according to the 6+6+6 model
- reintroduce the subjective right to day care and for all children over 3 to have the right to four hours of free day care every day
- see all school pupils in grades 1 to 6 be able to take part in after-school clubs or other activities, including during holidays
- ease the situation of single parents by scrapping the link between income support and the single-wage allowance paid on top of child support
- invest in preventative, outreach youth work to combat exclusion
- improve the situation of children of separated parents by making two home addresses possible
- secure sufficient resources for child protection
- invest in preventative care and home help for families with children
- increase the age limit for after-care of young people aged from 21 to 25 who have been in care
- investigate the consequences of decisions for children beforehand
- see better intersectoral (school, early childhood education, social care, police, etc.) cooperation between authorities to secure the child’s best interests
- introduce a hobby voucher to give all children the possibility of at least one hobby
Tvåspråkigheten tillhör alla – kaksikielisyys kuuluu kaikille – bilingualism belongs to everybody
Finland’s bilingualism is a unique richness that should be managed well. We want to see a Finland where people can live their daily lives in both our national languages, Swedish and Finnish.
Finland has the world’s best language legislation, but we want it to be followed in practice. That demands both political will and a positive attitude to bilingualism. The SFP is the best guarantee of a living bilingual Finland.
We want to
- update and develop the national language strategy, an SFP initiative
- to guarantee care in both our country’s national languages, Swedish and Finnish
- make language learning in school earlier and increase investments in language immersion, language clubs and other functional language-teaching methods
- Make sure you can always trust that our courts, enforcement authorities and police can respond to you in Swedish
- continue working for Swedish-speaking Finnish cultural autonomy with Swedish-language solutions that cover education, culture, associations and organizations, mass media and the church
- ensure that integration of immigrants can take place in both Swedish and Finnish
- ensure that public services are offered in both national languages and are easily accessible for groups with special needs. We want to see more Swedish-language and Nordic TV programmes on YLE Fem, and better subtitles.
- care for and strengthen Finland-Swedish sign language
- see language impact assessments done at an early stage of preparing legislation and other measures
- educate enough police officers, emergency centre operators and other personnel who can speak Swedish
- see a patient data system available in both Finnish and Swedish
- have a sufficiently motivating language supplement
- secure the resources of Finland’s Swedish assembly, the Folktinget
- incentivize state and municipal employees to develop their Swedish-language skills
- service in Swedish must be available in practice
Cities create opportunities
Urbanization is a global megatrend which can yield many advantages, not least economic and for the climate. The development of cities, particularly concerning the economy, growth and employment, is decisive for the success of Finland as a whole.
The SFP cares about all cities in Finland, regardless of size. Cities exist for people. We want to create comfortable, safe and stimulating urban environments that bring people together and combat segregation. Urban policy covers many different sectors which need to be better coordinated. Successful cities need a functioning urban region and strong rural areas.
We want to
- make it easier for businesses to hire people by giving cities more say over their job centres. The shortage of competent labour is a challenge for cities, too.
- combat segregation in our cities
- make urban planning more flexible and faster. We want to make construction easier. Access to zoned sites is of critical importance for a functional property market.
- see more homes and affordable housing
- make cities able to function as sites of innovation and culture. Cities should be able to test various pilot projects before large changes are introduced nationally.
- introduce better coordination between cities and central government to guarantee functional and flexible infrastructure both in and between cities.
- to allow the Helsinki region to develop with consideration for its special characteristics to be able to compete with other international metropolises. The success of the Helsinki region benefits the whole of Finland.
A living countryside benefits the whole of Finland
We want to see a living countryside and archipelago. It should be easy to live one’s everyday life, work and run a business in the countryside. For that reason, we need a modern regional and rural policy, which means giving the regions the opportunity to develop their special characteristics and strengths. Here, central government plays an important role in enabling and creating the right conditions, for example, through infrastructure investments and good communications.
We need strong, environmentally and climate-friendly domestic production of raw materials and food. For that reason, practising sustainable agriculture and forestry, with account of our challenging northern conditions, must be possible in a profitable way.
We want to
- strengthen regions’ and local communities’ opportunities for development based on their special characteristics
- at the national level, remove possible hindrances and give regions opportunities to develop in an independent, global way
- guarantee good communications and infrastructure to secure livelihoods and opportunities to earn an income
- make it possible to build, live and work in the countryside and on the islands without additional bureaucracy
- increase possibilities to use your holiday residence as your permanent home, and to take living at two addresses into account in municipal taxation
- ensure that Finland can maintain sustainable and profitable agriculture, forestry, domestic greenhouse farming, fur rearing and fishing.
- reduce agricultural bureaucracy
- secure the Sami people’s right to their traditional livelihoods, such as reindeer farming
- strengthen producers’ role in the food chain and promote investments in local food and increased consumer awareness
- have active forestry that is economically, socially and ecologically sustainable and which both creates prosperity and traps carbon dioxide to tackle climate change
- make permits for forms of protective hunting, for example of cormorants and seals, simple, flexible and based on actual local conditions. People’s concerns about such animals as wolves and cormorants must be taken seriously.
- extend the rules on wolf hunting that exist in reindeer farming to all of Finland
Good communications are the be-all and end-all for Finland’s success
For an export-dependent country like Finland, functional communications and infrastructure are crucial. Good infrastructure is critical for the success of Finnish business and industry. A functional transport policy must serve the individual in allowing him or her to travel between work, studies or other occupations and home.
Our transport and communications are facing a transition. Digitalization, artificial intelligence and robotization are playing an ever larger role. For that reason, we want to see courageous new thinking in the transport sector and welcome pilots with new technology.
State finance policy for traffic projects must be better balanced and reflect the country’s need for broad, varied traffic solutions.
We want to
- increase the coverage of our rail network – we need both new lines and the development of existing ones
- keep our national roads in good condition, with the condition prioritized and resourced
- see the winter condition of roads, snow-ploughing and gritting function nationwide
- see the position of Helsinki-Vantaa airport as an important hub in global air traffic developed and to secure the operating conditions and flights of regional airports
- make public transport the most attractive option, both in terms of time and cost
- secure functional inter-island transport
- maintain the condition of our ports and waterways to secure foreign trade
- secure opportunities for remote services in sparsely populated areas through tailored solutions
- guarantee good data communications nationwide, primarily through fibreoptic cable
- make Finland a pioneer in the digitalization of society
- have the transport sector take advantage of the opportunities provided by the sharing economy and digitalization
- secure everyone’s right to mobility so that private motorists, particularly in areas without extensive public transport, are not unduly hit
- see a taxi system that works in practice and for Kela taxis to be reliable and safe.
- to investigate new finance models and new transport solutions
A welcoming Finland that meets its international responsibilities
Finland must be a reliable actor in international cooperation and a nation that takes responsibility in aid policy and international human rights bodies. This must be done domestically by taking in people who were forced to flee their homes, but also through active participation in global environmental, climate and development matters and holistic support for the economic advancement of developing countries.
We want to see a welcoming Finland. Our immigration policy is built on humanity and solidarity. Our integration policy is built on four pillars: language, work, education and community.
We want to
- set the target foreign aid level at 0.7% of GDP
- see Finland and the EU, in their development policy, support countries’ development of good, open governance which combats corruption
- see aid policy grounded in human rights, and support for children’s and women’s rights to education and democratic development
- We want businesses to commit to respecting human rights throughout the chain of production.
- see Finland initially welcome 2,500 quota refugees annually
- reintroduce the need for humanitarian protection as grounds for receiving a residence permit
- see functioning family reunification
- give asylum seekers the right to sufficient legal aid
- see conscious investment in education
- see all new arrivals to Finland either get a job or participate in education to better know the community and learn one of the national languages.
- give asylum seekers the right to baby boxes
- work to ratify the ILO convention on the rights of indigenous peoples, including the Sami
- overhaul the Sami Parliament act
- create a just trade policy which sets targets to strengthen developing countries
We need more Europe, not less
The SFP is Finland’s most EU-friendly party. Finland must take the lead on working for a more modern, gender-equal, sustainable and competitive EU which stands up for shared values in human rights, the rule of law and democracy. We think that Finland should be a proactive and constructive actor in the EU. The Nordic EU countries could derive benefits by cooperating more actively to advance their common interests.
The EU should be a collective political force for peace, prosperity, stability and justice in Europe and the rest of the world. The EU should focus on big questions such as human rights, freedom, trade, climate and knowhow. Presently, the EU’s fundamental values, the rule of law and human rights, are being challenged in many ways. It is necessary and important for Finland to advocate and defend liberal Western values.
We want to
- make Finland be a proactive and constructive actor in the EU
- see all EU member states commit to the EU’s shared values and the rule of law. Mechanisms for protecting these values should exist and be used if values are challenged.
- see a more open Nordic governance culture in all EU institutions, with democratic, clear and transparent decision-making processes
- increase competitiveness, productivity and employment in the EU by investing in small and medium-sized enterprises, research and innovation
- make it possible to channel EU regional aid to measures with a real effect on employment and competitiveness. This will allow the regions to derive the most benefit from the support
- see Finland actively raise the situation in the Baltic Sea and the Arctic
- secure agricultural subsidies at a sufficient level
- see more active cooperation between the Nordic EU member states
- see a clearer EU foreign policy and for the EU to be able to react faster to world events with a single voice
- see individual member states’ special characteristics considered and common sense used when new EU legislation is planned
- reduce EU-based banks’ risks by completing the banking union and increasing stability in the financial system
- see EU countries, including Finland, introduce a responsible economic policy that respects the EU Stability and Growth Pact
The Nordic countries – we are stronger together
Finland’s place is in the west and our closest international cooperation partners are the other Nordic countries. Through Nordic cooperation at the regional, European, transatlantic and global levels we are more successful than we would be as an individual country. We think that the Nordic countries should cooperate even more significantly in the international arena. The Nordic welfare model could be more actively raised in international contexts.
The Nordic should be the world’s most integrated region. The remaining barriers that make Nordic cooperation more difficult must be removed. Work for an electronic ID that makes it easier to live, study and move between the countries must continue. The Nordic countries should be the first when it comes to digitalization. Smart digital solutions can remove boundaries and bureaucracy. We want to invest in new solutions that make it easier for Nordic residents to work, study and move between our countries.
We want to
- see Nordic countries intensify their cooperation at the European, transatlantic and global levels
- see Nordic countries jointly promote the Nordic welfare model and gender equality in international contexts
- see the Nordic countries become the world’s most integrated area
- introduce the Nordic electronic ID during the next parliament
- prioritize Nordic cooperation in education, defence and the environment
Security requires cooperation
Finland should be active in international cooperation, setting the aims of creating peace, security and stability. We do this as an active part of Nordic, European and transatlantic cooperation, and with UN and OSCE member states. We should be an active peace broker and conflict solver and take part in and contribute our knowhow to international crisis response operations, both military and civil.
Our defence policy should be based on credible national defence. Universal national service is one of the foundations of Finnish defence.
Finland develops its military cooperation with NATO because it is important for us to maintain and develop our national territorial defence. Active participation in international cooperation is in Finland’s interests and is a part of our global responsibility.
We want to
- maintain and develop universal national service
- make the call-up events common for everyone in that age group, regardless of gender
- provide defence with modern, sufficient equipment
- see Finland as an active builder of peace and democracy, including in the future
- deepen Nordic defence cooperation
- respect the special position of the Åland islands as a demilitarized zone and use the Åland example as a model in crisis management
- secure the position of the Nylands Brigad (Nyland/Uusimaa brigade) of the Finnish army
