Petteri Orpo addresses pension age and EU budget negotiations

Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo has addressed two major policy issues in Parliament: pension reform and European Union budget negotiations.

Regarding pensions, Orpo dismissed a Ministry of Finance proposal to raise the minimum retirement age to 70, calling it ‘completely unrealistic.’ While the National Coalition Party aims to achieve 2 billion euros in savings through pension system reforms during the next parliamentary term, Orpo emphasized that the party does not intend to cut existing or incoming pension payments. Instead, the focus remains on extending working lives through various measures.

On the international stage, Orpo is delivering a Prime Minister's statement regarding negotiations for the 2028–2034 EU budget. This follows controversy regarding reports that a group of six countries, including Finland, was pushing for cuts to EU agricultural subsidies. Orpo and Agriculture Minister Sari Essayah have denied these reports, asserting that securing agricultural support remains a central goal for Finland. The group of nations, which includes Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden, has advocated for significant reductions in the European Commission's budget proposal to ensure fiscal discipline.