Central government budget for 2017

Key points of the debate

The debate addressed the policy outlines, tax measures and spending cuts in the 2017 central government budget. The Government emphasised increasing employment, supporting economic growth and curbing indebtedness without new cuts. The opposition criticised the proposal for increasing inequality, cutting education and weakening the livelihoods of the less well-off, and the budget thus sparked strong confrontation.

• –Are the tax cuts and spending cuts socially just?
• –Are the proposed measures sufficient to raise the employment rate and curb indebtedness?
• –Are the savings targeting education and research sustainable?

• National Coalition PartyIn favour

  The National Coalition Party (NCP) considered the budget a strong policy for work and growth that improves competitiveness and encourages entrepreneurship without new spending cuts.

  ”Korkea työllisyys ja hyvinvointiyhteiskunta ovat erottamaton pari.”

• Finns PartyIn favour

  The Finns Party (Finns) supported the proposal and considered that it creates the right conditions for economic growth, employment and support for everyday family life.

  ”Sanotaan tämä nyt ihan suoraan: tämä budjetti on minun poliittisen historiani aikana tehdyistä budjeteista paras.”

• Centre PartyIn favour

  The Centre Party (Cen) considered that the budget stabilises public finances, promotes entrepreneurship and advances necessary structural reforms.

  ”Talouden suuressa kuvassa kilpailukykysopimus, vakauttava talousarvio, byrokratian purku ovat oikeita lääkkeitä siihen, että saadaan aikaan paremmat edellytykset työlle ja yrittämiselle.”

• Social DemocratsAgainst

  The Social Democrats (SDP) opposed the proposal, considering that the Government is increasing debt through tax cuts for high earners and cutting back on the everyday lives of low-income earners and pensioners.

  ”Kyllä minä nyt toivoisin, että pääministeri ymmärtää, että tämä hallitus ottaa lisää velkaa siksi, että se saa antaa veronkevennyksiä omalle etupiirilleen.”

• GreensAgainst

  The Greens criticised the budget for cuts targeting education and research and for an inequality-increasing income distribution policy.

  ”Hallituksen valinnat eriarvoistavat suomalaisia.”

• Left AllianceAgainst

  The Left Alliance (Left) opposed the budget because it cuts basic security and services while tax cuts benefit high earners the most.

  ”Valtion talousarvioesityksen suuri linja on tuloerojen ja eriarvoisuuden kasvaminen. Köyhimmiltä leikataan, ja veronkevennykset kohdentuvat eniten kaikista hyvätuloisimmille.”

• Swedish People's PartyAgainst

  The Swedish People's Party (SPP) considered the Government's measures to raise the employment rate and curb indebtedness to be insufficient and the cuts to education short-sighted.

  ”Regeringens målsättningar om att höja sysselsättningsgraden och stävja skuldsättningen är bra och alldeles riktiga. Tyvärr saknas tillräckliga åtgärder för att nå dessa mål.”

• Christian DemocratsAgainst

  The Christian Democrats (CD) criticised the budget for continued indebtedness and cuts targeting the most vulnerable.

  ”Toinen vaje on hallituksen budjetin inhimillisyysvaje. Me leikkaamme heikompiosaisilta.”

• Blue ReformIn favour

  The group emphasised the importance of raising employment in stopping the growth of debt, as well as reforming the administration of justice within available resources.

  ”se on tietysti se hallituksen ykköstavoite, että tämä 72 prosentin työllisyysaste saavutetaan ja sitä kautta sitten velkaantuminen loppuisi.”

This digest was generated by AI from 978 speeches 13 Sep 2026. Group positions are read from the speeches, not from votes; quotations were checked verbatim against the record. The longest speeches were shortened in the digest's source material.