Radio | News week in plain Finnish | Saturday 29.3.2025

Party themes in regional elections

In the elections in two weeks, regional councils will be elected for welfare areas and municipal councils for municipalities.

Regional councils decide on social and health services.

We will now tell you what kind of social services the parliamentary parties want for the regions.

For example, all parties support the personal doctor model, in which people always have the same doctor.

Center Party, National Coalition Party and Christian Democrats

The Centre proposes a single payment cap for healthcare. Services will be free after a certain amount of payments has been made in a year. The same payment cap includes, for example, medicines, travel costs and treatment costs.

The Coalition Party says that electronic services can be used if it makes access to care easier. The Coalition Party believes that private companies and organizations can be involved in providing public health and social services.

The Christian Democrats want better Kela compensation for services that are poorly provided by public healthcare, such as ophthalmologists, gynecologists and dental care.

Movement Now, Finns Party and RKP

Liike Nyt says that layoffs in the social welfare sector must be stopped. In addition, tax breaks must be offered to caregivers who are already retired. This will get them back into nursing work.

The Finns Party wants remote appointments and health center vans to improve services. The party also demands aptitude tests and language tests for the social welfare sector.

The Swedish People’s Party (RKP) wants the welfare state money to be used for permanent doctors. Then there would be no need for expensive temporary doctors.

SDP, Left Alliance and Greens

The Social Democrats (SDP) believe that there should be a price cap on temporary work in the health and social care sector. The SDP supports remote services but says that people should be able to call the health center and get a consultation.

The Left Alliance believes that social and health services can also be provided remotely or as a mobile service. Welfare areas must reach everyone. That is why sign language and plain language are needed, for example.

The Greens want to make it easier to access treatment, so that people do not need private health insurance. Art and culture are important for mental health. That is why the welfare area should also spend money on art, the Greens say.

Regional elections are on April 13. There will be no regional elections in Helsinki.

Tomorrow we will talk about the parties in the municipal elections.