HELSINKI, July 21 (Xinhua) -- Finland's coalition government led by Prime Minister Petteri Orpo survived a parliamentary confidence vote on Tuesday amid controversy over a proposed state subsidy for a privately developed arena project in Helsinki.
The government won the confidence vote by 101 to 90, with eight lawmakers absent. A separate confidence vote on Orpo produced the same result.
Parliament was recalled from its summer recess for an extraordinary session to debate the government's April 2025 decision to conditionally pledge 35 million euros (39.9 million U.S. dollars) to the Garden Helsinki project.
The governing parties agreed that the state would provisionally cover 10 percent of the cost of the project's planned multipurpose arena and ice rink. The subsidy remained subject to the project's implementation and the preparation of detailed eligibility criteria. No public funds were disbursed.
Opposition parties requested the extraordinary session last Friday, after which Orpo asked Speaker of Parliament Jussi Halla-aho to convene an extraordinary session.
Although Orpo defended the proposed subsidy in recent weeks, the government withdrew the pledge on Monday as criticism intensified.
The controversy escalated after Finnish media published documents showing that the chairman of the project company repeatedly contacted government officials and members of Orpo's staff before the pledge was made.
Following complaints from citizens, Finland's Chancellor of Justice is investigating the government's decision-making process and the circumstances surrounding the proposed subsidy.
Separately, the National Audit Office of Finland has launched an inquiry into whether Projekti GH Oy, the company behind the project, should have reported its contacts with government officials to Finland's Transparency Register.
During an eight-hour parliamentary debate on Tuesday, opposition lawmakers accused Orpo of political backroom dealing and said the case had raised suspicions of corruption and improper influence.
Coalition lawmakers stressed that the subsidy was conditional and that no public funds had been paid. They also cited the project's potential economic and employment benefits.
Joakim Vigelius, a Finns Party lawmaker, told national broadcaster Yle that there were currently no grounds to bring down the government. However, he said the situation could be reassessed if the Chancellor of Justice found grounds for criticism.
Markku Jokisipila, director of the Centre for Parliamentary Studies at the University of Turku, told Yle that the controversy was the most serious setback the Orpo government had faced so far and had undermined public confidence in political decision-making. ■