Government resorts to familiar tactic in Garden affair—brushes close to scandal’s core

The Finnish government has adopted a strategy of transparency in response to mounting scrutiny over the Garden project, but opposition lawmakers remain unconvinced by the explanations provided in parliament.

Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP) told legislators on Tuesday that all relevant information about the decision-making behind the Garden project had now been made public. His assurances did not satisfy opposition parties, who pressed repeatedly for details on how support for the project reached the government’s agenda despite objections from the Ministry of Finance.

Orpo acknowledged the seriousness of criticism directed at the government’s decision-making process and his own role, but reiterated that an earlier conditional vote of support had not depended on the individuals involved in the project or on the party’s election funding.

Government coalition lawmakers shifted focus to past decisions by previous administrations, citing controversial state asset sales such as the 2022 disposal of Fortum’s Uniper subsidiary, which resulted in significant losses. Perussuomalaiset MP Juha Mäenpää criticized Centre Party leader Antti Kaikkonen as a “corruption expert,” referencing Kaikkonen’s prior conviction in a case involving election financing.

Despite attempts to redirect debate, unresolved legal challenges remain. The Chancellor of Justice is reviewing multiple complaints related to the preparation of the Garden decision and the state’s intervention in the Valmet Automotive plant in Uusimaa, both linked through ties to major donor Ilpo Kokkila. The National Audit Office has also launched an inquiry into whether the Garden project’s parent company should have registered lobbying activities in the transparency register.

Garden project board chair and former minister Jan Vapaavuori announced his resignation from the lobbying firm Gerard Partners, which has been involved in advocating for the project.