The All Points North podcast takes a closer look at the plans of the new administration, which is being called Finland's most right-wing government in recent history.
Finland's new coalition sworn in this week consists of the Petteri Orpo-led National Coalition Party, the Finns Party, the Swedish People's Party and the Christian Democrats. The government has set itself a primary target of improving the Finnish economy. This means proposed cuts to many social benefits.
"It reflects a little bit the general attitude, moral attitude of this new government. The feeling that there are people who can free ride the system," Helsinki University world politics professor Teivo Teivainen told the show.
Listen to the episode via this embedded player, on Yle Areena or via Spotify.
Incoming Interior Minister Mari Rantanen of the Finns Party this week said her ministry will make a u-turn on the nation's immigration and refugee policies during her term in office. The show hears from members of the foreign community who are mobilising to protest against the government's plans to tighten immigration laws.
"We just want to do our jobs but at some point enough is enough. We've got to make our voices heard and we have to stop just being seen and talked about by people, but people have actually got to listen to us," Australian postdoctoral researcher Sam Spilsbury told APN.
The show also explores the incoming administration's planned welfare cuts in light of new research that shows 10 percent of people in Finland don't make enough money to cover anything beyond basic necessities.
"I'm predicting that material deprivation and poverty will increase during the next government term because of the planned cuts to the unemployment benefits, housing benefits and social assistance," explained Jussi Tervola of the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).
As always, we also round up all of the biggest news in Finland, and with Midsummer approaching, we ask what those staycationing can get up to in the nightless night.
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This week's show was presented by Ronan Browne and Zena Iovino. The sound engineer was Anders Johansson.
If you have any questions or would like to share your thoughts, contact us via WhatsApp on +358 44 421 0909, on our Facebook or Twitter accounts, or at yle.news@yle.fi and allpointsnorth@yle.fi.
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