The government's plans to raise taxes and cut spending have not been received well by opposition party leaders. The decision to raise VAT to 25.5 percent — the second highest rate in the European union — was especially unpopular.
SDP chair Antti Lindtman said that the historic VAT increase together with a tax on middle-income pensioners, and increased healthcare charges, were excessive.
"This is going to hit many Finns very hard," said Lindtman.
Lindtman said he was also concerned about older people, as the government is planning to loosen rules on staffing ratios and waiting times in basic healthcare.
In addition the government has failed to support the construction sector, according to the SDP leader.
"The package lacks any kind of measures to help construction at a moment when the sector is in crisis," said Lindtman.
Green dismay
Green leader Sofia Virta said that she would have done the VAT increase differently, but she was especially disappointed with the way children and young people's services were treated in the budget.
Government moves on the green transition, with tax breaks intended to encourage investment in new technologies, and investment in research and development did not impress Virta.
"First of all now would have been the time to get rid of those subsidies which are damaging to the environment and the economy, but the government did not have the courage for that," said Virta, who accused the government of lacking vision and leadership.
"It's great that they made some investments in growth, but those measures are insufficient."
Growth needed
Antti Kurvinen, the chair of the Centre Party's parliamentary group, also criticised the government's plans.
He said Finland could be forced into a static situation due to the austerity package.
"There don't seem to be a lot of measures to encourage growth, measures that would genuinely attract investment and [encourage] Finns to believe in the future," said Kurvinen.
The Centre Party is planning to present its own alternative package of economic measures in the coming days.
"Our alternative will include tax increases and spending cuts, but also those kinds of growth policies that would really increase revenue for the government," said Kurvinen.
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