Finnish prime minister faces questions from ombudsman over Helsinki Garden project state aid

The Finnish Office of the Chancellor of Justice has requested written responses from Prime Minister Petteri Orpo by the end of August regarding the state aid for the Helsinki Garden project.

The ombudsman’s office posed 18 specific questions to Orpo, including details about initial contacts with the project, communications with representatives of Projekti GH Oy, the preparatory process before the government’s framework negotiations, and the content of documents available to the cabinet during those negotiations.

The inquiry also asks whether the government’s decision on funding was unanimous, what calculations underpinned the project’s impact assessments—including employment effects—and whether the National Sports Council or the Corporate Support Negotiations Committee was consulted. Orpo is further asked to confirm whether EU state aid regulations were followed and to outline the next steps in the process.

Additional questions address the selection of a construction firm for the project, the decision-making authority behind that choice, and whether Orpo has assessed potential conflicts of interest related to political donations from SRV Yhtiöt Oyj’s major shareholder, Ilpo Kokkila.