Leaked map reveals plans to reduce number of municipalities to about 70

Henna Virkkunen

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The publication late last week by the news magazine Suomen Kuvalehti of a map proposing that the number of municipalities in Finland should be reduced from 336 to about 70 has led to a flurry of explanations, e-mails, and stonewalling.
      The map is based on a plan being drawn up by a group of civil servants set up by Minister for Public Administration and Local Government Henna Virkkunen (Nat. Coalition Party). The plan was originally to have been made public in February.
     
Virkkunen has initially refused to comment on details of the map.
      “The work of the working group is not complete. It is working independently”, Virkkunen said.
     
The head of the working group, Päivi Laajala, director-general of the municipal affairs department of the Ministry of Finance, downplayed the significance of the map.
      “I am very disappointed that such a leak took place. This is not a proposal of the working group”, she said to Helsingin Sanomat.
      Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen (Nat. Coalition Party) did not want to comment on the matter. Minister of Finance Jutta Urpilainen (SDP) said simply that the Social Democrats are not in favour of coerced mergers of municipalities, and that the project cannot be implemented through “mere map exercises.”
     
The main government parties have said that they are working as a united front on the reform, but disagreements are brewing.
      Many Social Democrats are upset with Virkkunen, saying that the minister had been too enthusiastic about municipal reform already last year when she proclaimed a number of goals before any studies were made or negotiations held.
     
“It raises great amazement how such a big matter could be turned into this kind of an amazing crisis”, said a figure in the Social Democratic Party who wished to remain anonymous.
      “The government should have been informed better about the initiative. It has been prepared purely within Virkkunen’s staff”, another SDP figure complained.
      Virkkunen herself emphasised on Friday that she feels that “good understanding” has prevailed among the government parties.
     
The draft map gave opposition parties an effective weapon against the government.
      “It is a red-blue corset with green lacing. The aim is to make short work of municipalities”, said Timo Soini, chairman and presidential candidate of The Finns Party.
      Centre Party leader Mari Kiviniemi said that defeating the proposed municipal reform is now her top priority.
     
The map would turn the Helsinki region - the cities of Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa, and Kauniainen – into a single municipal entity. Suomen Kuvalehti also reports that there are proposals for similar forced mergers in the areas of Tampere and Turku.
      “We have been working for half a year. Along the way there have been various maps have been put forward in the working group. I cannot say if this is one of our draft versions. There are oddities there that cause us to wonder”, Laajala says.
     
The proposal is to be made public in early February, offering various models for mergers in different areas.
      “We are proposing an option for each region for finding a strong basic municipality, in addition to which there will be secondary alternatives. With the primary alternatives we will give thorough reasons for why we have come to these conclusions”, Laajala said.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Future Vantaa mayor open to possibility of merger with Helsinki (10.11.2011)
  Two municipalities merge with Lohja to form massive new city west of Helsinki (10.11.2011)
  Centre Party lashes out at government proposal for municipal reform (29.9.2011)
  Centre Party angered at proposed municipal reform (5.9.2011)

Helsingin Sanomat