The Finnish government resigned

Why did the Finnish government run away?

Finnish Prime Minister Juha Sipil resigned on March 8. "Fontanka" explains how, due to the failure of one reform, Suomi lost her government on the eve of parliamentary elections.

The premiership of Juha Sipil ended with the resignation of the government, the cause of which was the acute situation around health care reform and social security.

Reform failed. She was poorly prepared, contrary to the country's constitution. and, thanks to zealous lobbyists, was largely developed "under the order" of a large medical business.

It was coordinated for a long time, considered by the parliamentary committee on health and welfare and the constitutional commission.

As a result, the relevant committee sent the project for additional expertise, and Sipila acknowledged the failure of the government.

We wanted the best…

Why would Finland seem to need social health reform? After all, the country ranks first in the rankings for medical and social services.

The main reason was cumbersome: at the same time, in social health care, they were simultaneously treated, served, replenished their own databases and paid various organization benefits different levels and submissions.

There was confusion. The cost of maintaining this range of services has been quite large and unevenly distributed - small municipalities lacked funds and the big ones had them in abundance.

The difficult economic situation in the country and in the world demanded to simplify social health and at the same time turn it to face the citizen.

Therefore, the reform was concerned about the government of the previous convocation.

Not having succeeded, in 2015 it left a difficult legacy to the government Juhi Sipilia (party "Center").

Sipila was popular as a “business formation” politician. Before joining politics, he himself was a successful businessman and considered the state, as a kind of corporation, which should be brought into plus. Government got down to business with enthusiastic graduates business administration.

Why should the public sector engage services, when you can open a sector to compete and translate municipal clinics for self-sufficiency so that they compete for the client with private traders and the market had more offers?

Moreover, private firms initially interested in customers, and citizens will not have a month wait for a doctor, as often happened. Yes, and you can choose a doctor! And while health care remains available, as before: the client pays only very small invoices for a doctor’s appointment.

Is there no corruption in Finland? Not. Therefore, tenders for the purchase of services and the use of certificates to pay for services will be honest, and the service will be better, more targeted, and cost effective. Bingo?

…but something went wrong (spoiler: just about everything)

No, by. It turned out that the state is not a corporation aimed at making a profit. What looked great in the form of a pitch and presentation, in real life is not consistent with the basic law of the country.

The constitution guarantees access to the services of all citizens, regardless of location. their stay. A business from which the state was supposed to buy medical and social services, is interested in forming the most profitable business model.

As a result, numerous experts commenting on the reform project predicted that medical services will be concentrated only in the populated part of Finland.

And somewhere in North Kainu, a doctor will have to travel about 200 kilometers. What is indirectly confirmed when, after reducing the number of maternity hospitals, the number of births in the car.

The last nails in the coffin of social security reform scored an unprecedented scandal in the history of the country with the service in those nursing homes which were on the balance sheet of large private firms. There the old men were not getting enough food they were taken to take a shower only once a week, there was not enough staff.

Worthy old age is something that every Finn subconsciously works all his life, therefore, the neglect of the old people outraged everyone.

And the reform project continued to be filled with inconsistencies, and the faceless intervened in the matter. democratic procedure. Profile Committee stated: approve without revision reform is impossible.

It became clear that the parliament of this convocation would not accept it, and the ratings suggested, that the next government will be formed by another party opposed to reform.

To keep a good face on a bad game, Juha Sipilä is almost alone decided to resign the government, surprising even coalition partners, who still intended to fight.

However, his statements that he accepts responsibility will save the centrist rating. Thanks to him, they are rapidly turning into a small party. with support of less than 15%.

And now without a government?

The government after retirement will turn into a technical office without the right to make parliamentary discussion of political issues, and in this capacity will finalize your time before the election.

At the same time, the parliament can continue to discuss the bills that the government has introduced until the resignation - if such a desire. On the Finnish-Russian relations in the current moment this crisis will not be reflected: before the elections there were no plans official summits, in addition, the main conductor of the Finnish Foreign policy is President Sauli Niinistö, and he is not going to resign.

What will the elections bring?

Parliamentary elections in Finland will be held on April 14th. Currently the leader election race is the Social Democratic Party of Finland c rated at 21.3%.

The Silver Medalist is a bourgeois Coalition Party that was part of an unlucky government lags behind her by 5.1%, and its rating continues to fall.

SDP - one of the oldest parties of the moderate-left sense with rich traditions and the backbone of loyal voters who have repeatedly formed governments are the same horse that does not spoil the furrows.

Social Democrats are supporters of good neighborly relations with Russia, and They are critical of NATO, but at the same time they see Finland as part of Europe and declare about the need to strengthen the borders of the European Union.

There is a strong opinion that the Social Democrats in consultations on the formation governments will seek to create the so-called "red-green" coalition, where the Union of Left Forces, the Greens will be represented, with high probability - Swedish People's Party (which almost always belonged to governments, and which Sipilya "did not take").

However, the remaining centrists, coalitionists and "True Finns" can unite in a very strong opposition and provoke a parliamentary crisis.

Therefore, the outlines of the future cabinet are still far from obvious. By the way, former Prime Minister Sipilia is not going to leave the political arena: after retirement, he also intends to focus on the election campaign.

Polina Kopylova, specially for Fontanka.ru

source - fontanka.ru

Article author: Andrei Olegovich