On Monday, the SDP, Centre Party, Greens, Left Alliance, and Swedish People’s Party published the outcome of their negotiations on a joint government programme. The new government, soon to take office, has a historic opportunity to influence the direction of a European Union going through a period of transformation. JEF Finland set out its goals for the government negotiations earlier this spring, and many of them are also included in the fresh government programme.
“JEF Finland’s goals were achieved in many respects. The new government’s climate targets are ambitious, and the great importance of EU-level action has been recognised. We are especially pleased with the concrete commitments relating to expanding the EU emissions trading system and reducing emission allowances”, comments JEF Finland President Iiris Asunmaa.
In addition, tying EU funding to the rule of law, centralised defence against cyber threats, and defending an open, rules-based trade policy are, from JEF Finland’s point of view, goals that are absolutely worth supporting.
Too Many Resources for Agriculture, Too Few for Young People
There was also room for criticism. The EU’s common foreign policy was addressed very sparingly in the government programme, it lacked concrete detail, and the commitment regarding increasing qualified majority voting was left too vague. Strengthening common foreign policy by increasing qualified majority voting should absolutely have been clearly defined in the government programme.
JEF Finland would have wanted more progressive positions on issues related to the EU’s budget negotiations. The government programme’s commitments on cutting environmentally harmful business subsidies are also fairly modest.
Although the government programme does talk about investing in young people, it is hypocritical to rely on increasing cooperation with the Council of Europe. The Council of Europe is precisely in the process of cutting all funding for youth activities.
“Beyond expanding the Erasmus+ programme, other investments in young people would be needed, especially as the Council of Europe is cutting funding for youth activities. The goals set for the EU’s budget negotiations are also off the mark in other ways, since they give an unjustifiably large weight to agriculture and regional development”, criticises Asunmaa.
JEF Finland emphasises the importance of effective implementation of the government programme. Ambitious commitments are meaningless if they are not carried out in a determined and systematic way. The new government will immediately face a real trial by fire when Finland’s EU presidency begins in July.
“The upcoming presidency gives Finland a historic opportunity to influence the direction of Europe and indeed the whole world. The new government must live up to the promises it has made and implement its European policy goals in full, by every means available”, states Asunmaa.