Opposition figures have accused the government of flip-flopping after contradictory statements from cabinet ministers regarding a costly rail project intended to link the capital with Turku, the hometown of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP).
On Friday, Transport Minister Lulu Ranne (Finns) announced that she had indefinitely suspended negotiations over the proposed high-speed rail line due to cost disputes.
On Friday evening, Orpo weighed in, denying that the plan had been suspended. In a text message to Yle, the premier pointed out that the project was included in the government agenda approved two years ago.
"That entry in the government programme is in effect. Negotiations have continued between the municipalities. The matter will be discussed within the government next week," Orpo wrote.
On Saturday morning, Ranne stood by her decision in a statement to the Etelä-Suomen Media group.
"The matter is unusually clear," she commented via text message on Saturday morning.
"I ordered a suspension of the negotiations because, after months of negotiations, no solution had been reached that would have corresponded to the decision of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Policy," Ranne wrote.
FANC: New route would destroy old-growth forests
According to the government programme, the state will implement the first phase of construction of the West Railway, including construction of a direct route between Espoo and Salo and improvement of the route between Salo and Turku’s Kupittaa station.
The double-track line between Espoo and Salo via Lohja would be the Finland’s first entirely new railway line in a century. The Finnish Association for Nature Conservation (FANC) has sharply criticised the plan, saying that any possible benefit in terms of lower transport emissions would be far outweighed by the destruction of valuable old-growth forest areas along the route.
On Saturday, the chair of the parliamentary transport committee, Jouni Ovaska (Cen) slammed the project and the disarray in government ranks.
"I really hope that this is not just an election stunt by the Finns Party just before Election Sunday, but that this absurd project is now finally buried," he said in a statement.
"Which minister should we call before the committee to clarify the confusion? Does the suspension mean stopping the project?," he asked.
Another opposition MP, Jani Kokko (SDP), also accused the cabinet of contradictory messaging. In a post on X, he asked "Who is leading this government? What is its policy line?"
Half-hour saving at a price tag of €4b?
The government has confirmed that the state's share of the costs of the first phase of the railway's construction will be 400 million euros.
The share of the municipalities along the railway line has also been tentatively agreed at 400 million. In addition, there are hopes for some 500 million euros worth of private investments. Last summer, the EU Commission rejected a funding bid for the project.
If completed in its entirety, the trip between Helsinki and Turku would take an hour and 18 minutes, compared to the current one hour and 52 minutes, saving just over half an hour of travel time. The overall cost is estimated at 3.4–4 billion euros, reports Turun Sanomat.
On 22–23 April, just after the long Easter holiday weekend, the government is to begin budget talks. It aims to cut public spending by some nine billion euros during this legislative term, including hefty reductions in social and healthcare services and benefits.