Centre Party’s regional reform plan dismissed as rebranded old model

Anna-Kaisa Ikonen criticised the Centre Party’s draft for a new regional model, calling it a repackaging of the former multi-sector region that fell apart during Juha Sipilä’s tenure. She stressed that the party must explain what is genuinely novel and provide detailed cost-benefit figures for the touted half-billion-euro savings. Ikonen warned that without transparent calculations, the savings remain wishful thinking, not a plan, and that AI is not a fiscal miracle.

She also raised concerns about financing mechanisms, especially for areas with low VAT revenues, if funding is linked to local consumption. While supporting a unified government approach, she noted that simply abolishing ministries does not automatically improve efficiency, citing defence ministry abolition as a questionable example. The minister called for bold administrative reforms and continuation of the coalition-led government’s work on streamlining public administration.