Finland’s Ministry of Finance stops short of promising to withdraw its welfare region appeal

Finland’s Ministry of Finance has said it will assess whether to withdraw an unprecedented legal appeal against a Lapland welfare region decision, but only after the regional council’s meeting minutes have been finalised, according to a report by Yle.

The ministry filed the appeal last month after the Lapland Regional Council rejected a proposal by a state-appointed assessment group to reduce services at Länsi-Pohja Central Hospital. The ministry argued the council had blatantly exceeded its authority in doing so.

On Monday, the Lapland Regional Council reconsidered the matter and reversed its earlier decision, voting to accept the assessment group’s proposal.

Ville-Veikko Ahonen, head of the welfare regions steering department at the Ministry of Finance, described the council’s decision as positive news for the ministry.

“All in all, it is a relief that the council reached its decisions yesterday,” Ahonen said in an email response.

The ministry’s appeal to the administrative court is considered a legal precedent, as no equivalent action has previously been taken against a welfare region in Finland.