
Orpo halts budget talks as racism row delays negotiations
Finland’s government has delayed the start of formal budget negotiations after a row erupted over remarks made by senior members of the Finns Party. Prime Minister Petteri Orpo appeared alone at the opening press conference, stating that no fiscal agreements would be reached before coalition leaders addressed issues of language and conduct within the government. The unusual move signalled a deepening divide inside the four-party coalition, which gathered in Helsinki’s Smolna state residence to negotiate €1 billion in additional budget cuts. Instead, discussions stalled as Orpo demanded clarit y from his partners over recent public statements by Finns Party officials referring to immigrants as “low-quality arrivals”.