Finland's finance ministry begins 2026 budget framework talks
Preliminary negotiations around the framework for Finland's 2026 state budget began on Wednesday morning at Moisniemi in Espoo.
The talks will be hosted and led by Finance Minister Riikka Purra (Finns), as her ministry is responsible for preparing the budget proposal that will be discussed by all four government parties in early September.
Purra told Yle on Tuesday that the government will need to find another one billion euros in savings to balance the state's books — but added that pensions and social security benefits would not be included in the talks around where cuts should be made.
Despite the pressure on the government to find the required savings from elsewhere, Purra seemed upbeat about the prospects for the negotiations.
"I do not anticipate that today’s negotiations will be difficult,” Purra told reporters as she arrived at the meeting in Moisniemi, which is traditionally where the finance ministry holds the annual talks.
There has been speculation in the Finnish media that the savings could be found by making cuts to the budgets for business subsidies, regional funding and international development aid.
Minister of Local and Regional Government Anna-Kaisa Ikonen (NCP) declined to comment on speculation about business subsidy cuts upon arriving to Moisniemi, but did respond to a reporter's question regarding potential regional cuts.
"Personally, I hope that they don't start making savings there. Now, of course, we'll go through all the options and find ways to make it work," she said.
The ministry's budget proposal is likely to be agreed this week, and it will then be discussed by the four government coalition partners in September before being presented to the Finnish parliament for approval.
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