National daily Helsingin Sanomat reports that the three parties that will likely form the new government are not fans of the European Commission’s proposal to enforce the emergency transfer of asylum seekers between member states.
The Commission's proposal reflects the pressure southern Europe is under as waves of asylum-seekers attempt coastal landings. The central plan is that each nation would be given a quota for refugee intake based on population, gross domestic product, the existing number of refugees and the unemployment rate of the member state. This in itself would not present a particularly onerous burden on Finland, the paper points out, as intake levels would not differ vastly from what they are at present.
However, Finland has reservations about the introduction of rules that would allow transfer of asylum seekers to another EU country.
The paper quotes National Coalition Party chair Alexander Stubb presenting the probable government’s united front on the issue. The former PM says that EU member nations should be free to make their own decisions and not be forced to sign up to mandatory emergency transfers.
EU leaders are set to discuss the proposal in early summer.
Universities in favour of fees for foreigners
Meanwhile, Turun Sanomat reports on the University rectors’ feelings on another of the new cabinet’s key conclusions this week – the plan to adopt tuition fees for university-level students from outside the EU or European Economic Area. The paper reports solid support for the plan amongst university top-brass, saying that rectors believe that new fees would help universities to develop their teaching, thereby improving the competitiveness of the Finnish education market.
The paper does highlight that university leaders would wish to retain some autonomy when it comes to charging tuition fees. Those at the executive end of higher education say that higher education institutions must have decision-making powers when it comes to collecting payments, and to the issue of allocating of those revenues.
On a different note, the western Finnish daily also runs a cover piece on the recent flooding to hit the region. An overflowing Masku River wreaked havoc on traffic this week and Highway 8 had to be shut down on Wednesday evening.
Flood waters threatened the integrity of a roadbridge, says the paper, which risked subsidence or collapse. Reinforcement work took place over the public holiday on Thursday and the roadway was returned to use.
Stop, go or battle it out?
To the tabloids, and Ilta-Sanomat also can’t resist a double-page spread on cabinet wrangling. Cuts are still completely open, reads the headline, which precedes a table highlighting the three government party’s views on the big three hot topics of the week – EU policy, foreign and security policy and immigration.
The daily uses traffic light colour-coding to indicate whether or not the parties have managed to meet consensus on various issues. A quick glance reveals that immigration appears at present the most contentious, with the Centre Party and the NCP somewhat at loggerheads with the Finns on the issue of work-based immigration.
The Finns Party wants to strictly tie work-based immigration to the specific needs of the Finnish labour market, while the other two government partners would more freely encourage workers from outside the European Economic Area.
