Metropolitan policy is a major theme in the upcoming parliamentary elections, and regionally significant goals must be included in the next Government Programme. A major regional debate will be held on the subject in the MetropoliAreena event held on Tuesday 31 January 2023 at 15:00–17:00 at the Mall of Tripla in Helsinki (Fredikanterassi 1). The event is open to all and free-of-charge but requires advance registration.
The event is worth a visit if you are interested in the future of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. Both debate and election promises will surely be heard as candidates such as Vice-Chair Elina Valtonen (National Coalition Party), Vice-Chair Leena Meri (Finns Party), Vice-Chair Riikka Pakarinen (Centre Party), Chair of the Parliamentary Group Jussi Saramo (Left Alliance) and Vice-Chair of the Parliamentary Group Saara Hyrkkö (Greens) confront each other in MetropoliAreena. The candidates will be further challenged e.g. by Mayor Juhana Vartiainen (Helsinki), Mayor Jukka Mäkelä (Espoo), Mayor Ritva Viljanen (Vantaa) and Regional Mayor of Uusimaa Ossi Savolainen. MetropoliAreena will be hosted by journalist Jaakko Loikkanen.
– Key themes in terms of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area’s growth and competitiveness include questions related to land use, housing and traffic, availability of skilled labour, and enforcing the area’s ability to invest and sustainable development. Of these themes, the availability of skilled labour is a national-level issue, and the Helsinki Metropolitan Area and the measures targeted there will play a key role, says Mayor Vartiainen.
For example, further education opportunities at the Helsinki Metropolitan Area in relation to the number of young people are currently insufficient. Metropolitan policy must also be reflected in the next Government Programme so that the themes of foreign-language-speaking population and work-based immigration as well as financing to ensure sustainable growth and well-being are included.
The MetropoliAreena event is a joint effort by the Helsinki Region Chamber of Commerce, Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Council, Cites of Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen, as well as newspapers Helsingin Uutiset, Länsiväylä and Vantaa Sanomat.
