Opposition party leaders have criticised a blog by Minister of Finance Riikka Purra (Finns) for being insensitive and downplaying public concerns.
On Monday, Purra wrote a blog post in response to a recent Ilta-Sanomat survey which showed that Finns' top concerns were inequality and income disparity. She dismissed these worries, arguing Finland's income inequality is among the lowest in the EU as well as globally — and even "too low," with stagnation and recession levelling disparities.
Purra argued that rising income inequality signals economic growth. She also criticised the public's knowledge, blaming the media for propagating misinformation.
Left Alliance leader Minja Koskela and Green Party chair Sofia Virta issued statements on Tuesday criticising Purra's post, tabloid Iltalehti reported.
"It's time for Purra to look in the mirror instead of blaming the media. The impoverishment of hundreds of thousands of Finns is not propaganda," Koskela said in a statement.
Virta meanwhile called Purra's comments on income inequality shocking and arrogant.
"The finance minister's attitude towards citizens' concerns is simply condescending, and criticising the media is straight out of the far-right playbook. In a democratic society, it's alarming when a minister believes citizens and the media are wrong just because research-based facts don't suit her narrative," Virta said in her statement.
The two opposition leaders also criticised Purra's defence of the government's austerity measures and her dismissal of their impact, arguing that they are negatively affecting low-income groups and children in Finland.
Replacing inheritance tax
A significant majority of Finns favour replacing inheritance tax with capital gains tax, according to a Uutissuomalainen poll.
Aamulehti reports that 55 percent of respondents support the change, 14 percent oppose it, and nearly a third remain undecided.
Currently, inheritance tax is paid upon receiving an inheritance, whereas capital gains tax would apply only if the inherited property is sold.
"Perhaps people consider it fairer that the tax would only be due when the inherited property is transferred to someone else, allowing the money from the sale to cover the tax," Emmiliina Kujanpää, Senior Tax Advisor at Finnish Business Policy and Forum (Eva) said.
Ilkka Kaukoranta, Chief Economist at the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK), noted that the proposed change would allow those who retain inherited property, such as a summer cottage, to avoid taxation.
Currently, the inheritance tax threshold is 20,000 euros, meaning many heirs are exempt from the tax.
The government plans to explore the possibility of replacing inheritance tax with capital gains tax.
The survey, conducted by TietoYkkönen, polled 1,000 people from 4 to 11 December, with a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points.
Vegans on the rise
The Vegan Challenge, a campaign organised by the Justice for Animals Association since 2013, has set a new monthly participation record, reports Helsingin Sanomat.
Since the start of the year, over 27,000 people have committed to following a vegan or plant-based diet for a month. Participants receive daily emails with vegan recipes and diet information, along with access to discussion groups and other resources.
The challenge peaks at the start of each year but can be joined anytime, according to Mahla Kettunen, the campaign’s communications specialist.
Kettunen believes the growing popularity of the challenge is partly due to Finland's new dietary guidelines, which recommend increased consumption of plant-based foods and less meat. She suggests this has increased demand for vegan recipes.
Environmental, animal welfare and climate considerations are also common motivators for participants, Kettunen adds.
The majority of participants last year were women, but Kettunen believes the challenge can also influence the diets of other family members in households with children.
She notes that discussions around diet are often gendered, with meat consumption wrongly linked to masculinity.
Each year, public figures join the Vegan Challenge. This year, actor Martti Suosalo is the campaign’s ambassador, and Kettunen hopes he will inspire more men to try a plant-based diet.
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