Petteri Orpo faces scrutiny over Garden Helsinki communications

Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo is facing scrutiny regarding his communications with representatives of the Garden Helsinki arena project. While Orpo previously claimed to have been fully transparent about the project, documents obtained from the National Audit Office of Finland (VTV) suggest additional undisclosed interactions.

According to the transparency register from Projekti GH Oy, the project's background company, there were multiple contacts including meetings in 2024, emails, and phone calls. Notably, documents reveal that representatives sent an "encouraging text message" to the Prime Minister shortly before the spring 2025 budget negotiations. The documents state this message was intended to exert influence.

Orpo has declined to comment on the specific details of these communications or the identity of the sender in Parliament. He has previously stated that Jan Vapaavuori, a National Coalition Party influencer and project promoter, mentioned the project to him informally during other unofficial meetings, though the exact timing and nature of these encounters remain unclear.