Prime Minister Petteri Orpo has responded to criticism from Centre Party leader Antti Kaikkonen over the government’s economic policy. On Thursday, Kaikkonen accused the government of leaving Finns a grim legacy and misleading the public.

The dispute centres on information from the Ministry of Finance showing that the government’s net fiscal adjustment in 2027 will amount to 2.8 billion euros. That figure has become the key political talking point because it indicates how much further the government plans to tighten public finances by the end of the parliamentary term.

Orpo’s reply comes as economic policy remains one of the main battlegrounds between the government and the opposition. No further details have yet been given on how the sides will continue the argument over the figures and what they mean.