Working in the Finnish parliament as a lawyer for the National Coalition Party's parliamentary group is a political front seat, through which I have got to know not only the political processes, but also the policy makers.
Who is Ville?
I am a 34-year-old lawyer from Haukilahti, Espoo. I work in the Finnish parliament as a lawyer for the National Coalition Party's (kokoomus) parliamentary group. In my free time, I enjoy a wide range of nature activities, including hiking and birds. In the summer I spend a lot of time on bicycle tyres, in the winter I read books.
Like many other people from Espoo, I have found my way to Espoo through a few twists and turns. I come from Satakunta and during my studies I lived in Tampere and Turku. After my military service, I served as a peacekeeper in Afghanistan for six months. After graduation, my partner and I found jobs in the Helsinki area, and Espoo was an obvious choice for us as our new home because of its spaciousness, closeness to nature and peacefulness.
Above all, I am an open-minded city dweller. Life has taken me from rural to urban, from village school to university, and from citizen to local council member. The journey has taught me many things, but the most important thing has been to learn to understand diversity. That is why, as an individual and as a politician, I try to foster understanding and build cooperation. I believe that this is also the best and most sustainable way to achieve the best results.
The skilled and tanned council group of the Espoo National Coalition Party on the steps of City Hall in the summer of 2024. I am grateful for the good spirit of our council group. During the past term, I have not only been a city council member, but also a member of the Environment and Building Committee and a member of the HSY board.
Municipal elections: responsibility for both the environment and the economy
Cities are the pioneers of society. That is why Espoo's decision-making must be seen as an opportunity that is bigger than one city. Espoo must be an ambitious platform for vitality and innovation, a pioneer in environmental protection and a cradle of open-minded values.
It is all based on a sustainable economy. The taxes collected by society are money earned by citizens through their work. That is why city spending must be taken seriously and carefully. When the coffers are empty, we must first ensure that Espoo uses its current tax money in the most sensible way possible, and only as a last resort should we resort to tax increases.
I want the nature of my childhood back. In one generation, there has been a visible change in nature. Birds, for example, send a worrying message about the state of the environment. Many species that were once common, such as the sparrow, the willow warbler and the black-headed gull, have become rare. We cannot go on like this.
Choosing responsibly must be easy. Therefore, reliable and efficient public transport, smooth cycling, comprehensive recycling facilities and tasty, protein-rich vegetarian food are also worth striving for in Espoo.
We live our lives in the city. That's why it matters what Espoo looks like. A beautiful and pleasant city has a direct impact on people's well-being. For example, café and restaurant services must be provided outside shopping centres to ensure the vitality of neighbourhoods and the distinctiveness of services.
During the current council period, Länsi-Uusimaa has achieved a number of successes. The Coalition Party and I, as chairman of the Group, have played a key role in this. We have worked hard to balance the economy with broad political consensus. In primary health care, the number of doctors has increased by 15% and the number of nurses by 8%. The administration of the welfare area has been streamlined by - 4%. Also knowledge-based management has been has been widely adopted.
Regional elections: We can still do better
In social and healthcare services, scarcity is shared. The population is ageing and the number working age people is declining.
In the near future, we have two options: either make the social welfare system more efficient or cut the services. The more we succeed in the first, the less we will have to resort to the second.
We must constantly assess whether we are organising the services in the most rational way possible. Tools for reform include innovation by businesses and organisations, a smarter service network, the opportunities offered by digitalisation and information based decision-making, such as cost transparency.
Reform and austerity have only an instrumental value. The ultimate goal is to ensure that everyone can rely on the availability of services in the future. The most valuable services, such as mental health services for young people, humane care for the elderly and top-class specialist care, will thus continue to be safeguarded.
I know social welfare decision-making like the back of my hand, having served as National Coalition Party's chairman during the past council term. In this role I have been responsible for, among other things, the inter-party negotiations on the service network and the budget.