The four-party alliance right-wing government led by Kansallinen Kokoomus (National Coalition Party-NCP) on Friday survived a no-confidence motion brought against it in the parliament by three opposition parties over the deepening poverty and rising living cost in the country.
The government won the motion by 88 votes to 63 with 48 lawmakers remaining absent.
The main opposition Suomen Sosialidemokraattinen Puolue (Social Democratic Party of Finland-SDP), Vasemmistoliitto (Left Alliance) and Vihreä liitto (Finnish Green League) filed the interpellation in the parliament on April 8 asking the government to explain the reasons behind increasing poverty and living cost hike.
The government responded to the interpellation on 15 April, when Parliament held an interpellation debate on the matter.
The parliamentary party leader of Vasemmistoliitto, Aino-Kaisa Pekonen accused the government of its failure to reduce the poverty and marginalisation in the country.
Referring to a recent report of the Finnish Federation for Social Affairs and Health (Soste), the leaders of the opposition parties said that almost a million Finns are already at risk of poverty and social exclusion.
The poverty crisis has been exacerbated particularly by the right-wing government's deep cuts to social security, the opposition leaders said during the debate.
They also held the government responsible for its failure to grow the economy and pointed out that the unemployment and homelessness are increasing and at the same time bread lines are getting longer.
Minister of Social Security Sanni Grahn-Laasonen answered the questions of the opposition leaders and defended the government policies during the debate.
Parliament on Friday held vote on the motion after holding the debate and the government survived the motion.
- Govt
- Survives
- No-confidence vote
- Poverty
Source: www.dailyfinland.fi
