The government’s austerity measures have manifested in severe spending cuts across critical sectors, including healthcare, social benefits, government agencies, and civil society. Additionally, regressive tax increases, notably a 1.5 percentage point rise in the basic VAT rate to 25.5 percent, have further burdened the population.
Beyond the questionable economic outcomes, the social costs are becoming increasingly apparent. Projections indicate a 9.2 percent increase in poverty and a 13.6 percent rise in child poverty. After a period of decline, homelessness is once again on the rise, driven by cuts to social benefits and housing services. The government’s dismantling of social housing is also expected to escalate housing costs.
Much like in Sweden!
OK, this is interesting. Can you tell me if the far-right populists have been in power for more than one term or how that went?
Right now it doesn’t look like they will join government come next term in Finland. And many people have been theorising/postulating that “once they’re in power people will realise how clueless they are, and that’s that then.” It certainly looks like it now, but I remain skeptical.
But of course we still have our very own neoliberals; economically they’re not much better.
Well, at least the potatoes and NCP lost a lot of seats in the local elections already, so I gained a bit of hope.
Young people not fucking voting though still remains an issue.