Prime minister calls emergency parliament session over Garden project

Prime Minister Petteri Orpo has requested Speaker Jussi Halla-aho convene an extraordinary parliamentary session during the summer recess to address the Helsinki Garden project controversy, Yle reports.

The session is scheduled for next Tuesday. Opposition parties had demanded the recess be interrupted, submitting a formal request to Halla-aho earlier today.

Orpo’s decision marks a rare instance of a government yielding to opposition pressure. Traditionally, recess interruptions have only occurred for urgent matters like pandemic legislation, and always at the government’s initiative.

The move follows failed attempts by Orpo’s National Coalition Party to contain the scandal, including distancing itself from project lobbyist Jan Vapaavuori. Repeated disclosures have kept the controversy alive, with legal complaints filed and the chancellor of justice reviewing the case.

While the government likely hopes parliamentary debate will close the matter, the project’s public funding remains uncertain. The company behind the Garden project has acknowledged that reputational damage now outweighs the benefits of state support. Finance Minister Riikka Purra has stated that including the subsidy in the autumn budget is not guaranteed, especially as relations between her Finns Party and the National Coalition have soured over other disputes.