Regardless of who forms the government and with whom, there are always high expectations for the negotiations. Well before the election campaigns begin, the influence on the upcoming government program starts. How well the messages get through and through which processes is something that cannot be fully overviewed. It involves well-established networks both directly within the political parties and among other stakeholders who can influence the final negotiators. My perception is that the amount of “influence work” is most intense just before the government negotiations begin and when it is known who has fared well in the election.

In addition to parties and individuals, the discussion about the upcoming government program is framed by the questions posed by the government negotiator. The starting point for influence on public health issues seems good this time, considering the questions posed by Petteri Orpo. Several of the questions had a direct connection to public health. Additionally, specific questions about social and health care were asked.

In the world I live in, the issue of addressing the shortage of caregivers has been discussed the most. Primarily, this discussion has focused on one of several necessary measures: dramatically improving employers’ opportunities for recruitment outside the EU, i.e., the extent of labor immigration during the upcoming government period. My hope is that the negotiations can agree on a government program that allows all available means to alleviate the caregiver shortage to be fully utilized. A requirement for a monthly salary above the median income for labor immigration would be particularly unfortunate.

It will be exciting to see how the response to the question “how you would support a lifestyle characterized by physical activity becoming more common” is written into the government program.

For elderly care, the basis for how staffing levels are calculated should definitely be reviewed. My personal opinion is that the fundamental message Petteri Orpo had before the last parliamentary election in 2019, when he said that a person is not a decimal, is entirely correct. In the best of worlds, care needs should be determined by personal need. The legislation we now have shows that it is easy to complicate matters with overly detailed regulations. Which professional groups are included in the staffing levels is a question directly related to the staff shortage in healthcare.

But a public health perspective can naturally also be applied to issues that do not directly concern care and welfare. As the overarching issue for government formation is to balance the economy, both cuts and tax increases can be expected. It may be more of a stick than a carrot over the next four years? The stick usually means tax increases, and the carrots various types of costs for the state. If you want to avoid tax increases, you need to reduce costs, i.e., slice the carrots thinner so that they last for many more. The work done by the third sector cannot be underestimated here. Much of what makes people live healthily and feel good is reinforced by the efforts that civil society voluntarily supports. The operational conditions for association activities should therefore be strengthened. Strengthening voluntary efforts can be done in many different ways; making it difficult to raise funds or introducing new taxes for non-profit associations is never wise, especially not now.

What the government program will include, for example, based on the question Orpo asked about “how you would support a lifestyle characterized by physical activity becoming more common,” will be exciting to see. Associations and voluntary work in exercise and sports are invaluable. Getting people to move is often perceived as more challenging to control with taxes than what they eat and drink. Carrots work better than sticks in many cases, although not always. Therefore, a higher tax on sofas and armchairs is not something you often hear about. However, taxes on alcohol, tobacco, and sugar are often discussed in relation to public health.

With alcohol and tobacco, the question of limiting consumption by restricting supply usually comes up. Consumption of unhealthy products can be controlled in many ways. This spring, I have seen initiatives talking about reintroducing the excise tax on sweets, but also arguments for trying to make “exercise prescriptions” significantly more common. In various election tests before the election, the question of supervised injection rooms and the attitude towards the legalization of “lighter” drugs (cannabis) also came up. It will be exciting to see if and how the government program concretely addresses the balance between individual choice and responsibility on one hand and societal control and obligations on the other.

This article by Georg Henrik Wrede was previously published in Swedish on Kommuntorget.