Finland's birth rate has been declining for a while, and in a new report out on Tuesday, covered by most media outlets, the Family Federation of Finland looks at how it might be raised.
Talouselämä says the report, which features articles by several researchers, finds two main reasons for the fall in birth rates: lifestyle and uncertainty.
Anna Rotkirch of the federation writes that people of child-bearing age don't want to have kids while they're unsure if they can afford a decent-sized apartment, they are unsure of their own financial prospects and they may also be unsure their relationship can handle a new addition to the family.
Lifestyle questions are clearer, according to Talouselämä. People do not want to compromise on the freedom and quality of life they currently enjoy, and fear children would significantly alter it.
Rotkirch urges decision-makers to invest in daycare services and early years education, to pay so-called 'baby bonuses' — and to encourage home-building in the growing cities of the south, so people are more likely to find a place they can afford where they want to raise children.
Marin polling well
Helsingin Sanomat runs a poll showing the Prime Minister's popularity has dipped slightly, but remains at unusually high levels.
The poll, which was also reported by most other media, suggests that 74 percent of respondents are satisfied with Sanna Marin's (SDP) performance. That's down from 78 percent in May.
The proportion of respondents who are very satisfied with Marin's performance has dipped from 39 percent in May to 28 percent now, while 22 percent are dissatisfied with the premier.
Pollsters tell the paper that the reason could be that in May the major story featuring Marin was her actions surrounding the coronavirus crisis, but more recently she's been criticised for her economic policies.
Veikkaus budget problems
Next week the government meets to thrash out a budget for 2021 and one of the issues on the table is how to fill a funding hole for organisations currently reliant on money raised by Veikkaus, Finland's state gambling monopoly which funds charities.
Those funds are ring-fenced for certain good causes, and in a normal year the money totals around a billion euros.
This money goes to everything from the national opera to NGOs and even the war veterans association, but this year there is a shortfall of some 300 million euros.
That's due to long-term trends in people's habits — they're less likely to play the lottery or gamble — but also the government's move earlier in the year to turn off slot machines in shops as a measure to control coronavirus.
HS looks at the options for filling the hole. One option is to try and block foreign gambling sites to better protect the Veikkaus market.
Other alternatives are to switch some of the line items to general budget expenditure, but that has risks for the recipients: while hardly anyone would dare to cut funding for war veterans, the national opera might have fewer supporters among younger MPs.
Politicians could also abandon the monopoly altogether and switch to taxing all gambling firms operating in Finland, but beneficiaries of Veikkaus funding estimate that might only generate a third of the current funds.
