Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP) before the start of YLE’s live Prime Minister’s Interview Hour at the official residence Kesäranta in Helsinki on 26 October 2025. Photo: Mikko Stig / Lehtikuva
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Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said Finland must keep all options open for long-term fiscal reform, including a review of the pension age, while reiterating support for Ukraine and defending the closure of the eastern border with Russia.
Speaking in Yle’s traditional Sunday interview, Orpo ruled out immediate cuts to pension levels but said the retirement age must be assessed continuously to ensure the sustainability of the pension system. He confirmed the government’s position not to touch pension payments during the current term.
“Our decision has been not to interfere with pensions. It has been a value choice,” Orpo said.
He referred to the life expectancy coefficient already embedded in the system, which raises the retirement age incrementally based on demographic trends.
“Eventually we must ask if it increases fast enough. That must be evaluated continuously,” Orpo said.
He said all parties should leave room for future governments to decide the direction of reforms after the next parliamentary elections, which are due in around 18 months.
Orpo said the government has strengthened the pension system by around one billion euros and insisted no reforms have been made that would reduce benefits.
On public finances, Orpo estimated that the next government will need to find around six billion euros in spending adjustments. He said the current administration had introduced a “debt brake” with wide support among parties, and that economic growth alone would not be enough to resolve structural issues.
He rejected a proposal by coalition partner Finns Party to limit health and social services for foreign residents in Finland. He said all residents with valid permits have equal rights to public services.
“There are hundreds of thousands of people with foreign backgrounds in Finland. They have the right to be here, and the right to services,” he said.
On defence policy, Orpo described Russia’s stalled military progress and Ukraine’s increased capacity to strike within Russia as signs of strategic progress for Ukraine. He also noted China’s decision to limit its oil purchases from Russia as significant.
“Russia is not advancing on the front, and Ukraine’s ability to strike inside Russia has improved,” Orpo said.
He expressed disappointment at the European Council’s failure to agree on the use of frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine’s defence. He said Belgium’s concerns were legitimate but believed a compromise is still possible.
“Europe has not, at any stage, been able to respond adequately to Ukraine’s needs,” he said.
Asked whether Finland would be willing to share risks to enable the use of those assets, Orpo replied: “Yes, we are.”
Regarding climate targets, Orpo said Finland remains committed to its goal of carbon neutrality by 2035, as outlined in the government programme. But he acknowledged that declining carbon sinks represent a significant obstacle.
He referred to new communications with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, which confirmed that some targets may not need to be compensated for by stricter action in other sectors such as transport or housing.
“The challenge with carbon sinks is massive,” Orpo said. “New methods must be found.”
Turning to border policy, Orpo confirmed that the closure of Finland’s eastern border with Russia will remain in effect until further notice. He said partial re-opening could be considered if Russia resumes earlier practices of preventing undocumented crossings.
“Border crossing could be reopened at some point in the future, if Russia stops sending people without documents,” he said. “But currently there is no indication they plan to change.”
He added that authorities continue to assess the situation, including recent incidents of illegal crossings at Ilomantsi, but repeated that the capacity of Russian officials to immediately escalate pressure remains unchanged.
“We see how migrants are used at borders in southern Europe. That risk remains on our border too.”
On domestic healthcare, Orpo acknowledged regional difficulties in delivering services due to financing pressures and salary increases in the sector.
“The situation has improved overall, but there are still areas with major problems,” Orpo said. “The system must ensure that service levels do not collapse due to staff cuts.”
He attributed some financial strain to previous miscalculations by the last government and said the current administration has had to provide additional funding to keep services operating.
Labour market challenges were also raised. Orpo maintained that the government’s employment target of 100,000 new jobs by the end of the term remains in place, despite the Ministry of Finance projecting the goal will not be met.
“We are still working toward that goal every day. We don’t give up,” he said.
Opposition MP Tytti Tuppurainen of the Social Democrats criticised Orpo’s responses, accusing him of avoiding responsibility and leaving hard decisions for the next government.
She said Orpo relied on optimistic rhetoric despite worsening indicators and claimed the interview revealed the government’s inability to deliver.
“It’s clear the government is out of ideas, and the prime minister doesn’t even try to solve problems anymore,” Tuppurainen said in a statement.
She pointed to policy disagreements within the coalition, particularly in social services, values, and pensions, as signs of growing internal disunity.
Orpo declined to confirm whether his party had begun preliminary talks about future coalitions but said no informal negotiations, such as “sauna talks,” were underway.
He ended the interview by saying that realistic public debate on the economy was needed.
“Negative talk does not help anyone,” Orpo said. “There are positive signs, and it is important that people are aware of them.”
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
