Newsweek in plain Finnish | Sunday 27.9.2026

Gasoline prices. Public procurement. UN General Assembly. Finnish men’s volleyball team wins bronze at the European Championship.

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Fuel prices

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For example, the crisis in the Middle East is raising the price of gasoline and diesel. Photo: Ville Maali / Yle

This week, there has been a discussion in Finland about the price of fuels, namely gasoline and diesel.

Prices have risen. The reasons are the rising cost of crude oil and the global crises.

Many politicians want to lower the price of gasoline.

The RKP proposes that the fuel tax be reduced.

The Finns Party and the Christian Democrats propose that the distribution obligation be reduced.

The distribution obligation means a rule that the fuel must also contain renewable fuel. Renewable fuel increases the price.

The Central Chamber of Commerce says that politicians’ proposals will not reduce fuel prices quickly.

The tax cannot be reduced due to EU rules. Reducing the distribution obligation could make it more difficult to achieve climate goals.

Public procurement

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Yle investigated the tenders for the machines. Photo: Marko Melto / Yle

There are problems with competition in public procurement. This is according to a Yle report. There are problems with the fairness of competition.

Yle investigated the procurement of work equipment by municipalities and parishes. In some of the tenders, the conditions were so strict that only one machine was suitable.

Yle reviewed ten procurement notices. Six notices were such that only one manufacturer’s machine met the conditions.

The organizer of the tender perhaps wanted only one company to be able to offer the machine.

The expert says that such a restriction of competition may violate the law.

Public procurement is paid for with tax money. Prices can rise high if there is no genuine competition.

Important week for the UN General Assembly

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Presidents Stubb and Zelenskyi signed the Finnish-Ukrainian defense cooperation agreement. Photo: Ilmari Reunamäki / Yle

The next topic is the United Nations, or UN, General Assembly.

This week has been the high-level week of the UN General Assembly. World leaders gathered in New York, USA.

At the meeting, world leaders have talked about, for example, wars and cooperation between different countries.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi signed a defense cooperation agreement.

The agreement will increase cooperation between Finland and Ukraine in the production of military equipment.

The agreement has been called the drone deal, but it also applies to weapons other than drones.

President Stubb says that some Ukrainian drone models can be manufactured efficiently in Finland.

Finnish men’s basketball team wins bronze at the European Championship

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The Finnish men’s national volleyball team won the bronze medal at the European Championship. Photo: Marco Bertorello / AFP

Finally, sports news.

The Finnish men’s national volleyball team won bronze at the European Championships on Saturday.

Finland won the Slovenian set 3–0, meaning Finland won all three sets of the match.

The loss in Slovenia was a big disappointment. The country’s media and players say that Finland was better and deserved to win.

The bronze medal is historic for Finland. It is Finland’s first medal at the men’s European Championship in volleyball.

This was a news week in plain Finnish. See you again, let’s hear from you!