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Ilmakuva Espoon saaristosta, lukuisia metsäisiä saaria ja salmia, tyynessä meressä auringonlaskun aikaan

Let's build a vibrant Espoo together in the 2025 municipal elections

Espoo's moderate taxation is our competitive advantage

Espoo is in constant competition with Helsinki, Vantaa, and our other surrounding municipalities. Tax policy is part of this bigger picture, along with the value residents receive for their municipal and property taxes. I support the lightest possible taxation and efficiently managed administration, leaving as much money as possible for residents to use themselves. Basic services mandated by the Municipal Act must be handled properly and with quality, but above all, Espoo must respect its residents' right to their own wallets. In Espoo, we must:

  • Set a medium-term goal of reducing the municipal tax rate below five percent from the current 5.36 percent.
  • Prevent tax increases by all means. We are a wealthy city with good growth prospects that can maintain our services through responsible financial management.
  • Keep property tax rates low and competitive; particularly, the property tax rate for permanent residences should be kept at the legally lowest tax rate, supporting single-family housing.

Martti Paldanius, nuori kokoomusnuori hymyilee aurinkoisessa puistomaisemassa, pukeutuneena valkoiseen kauluspaitaan ja siniseen solmioon, sininen puvuntakki olalla

Let's make Espoo the entrepreneur capital of Finland - Debt growth must be curbed

President J.K. Paasikivi once said that acknowledging facts is the beginning of wisdom. The City of Espoo has a major financial challenge. As a city group, Espoo has approximately 4.5 billion euros in debt, or 15,200 euros per resident. By this measure, Espoo is Finland's most indebted city. Of course, debt has been taken on for good purposes, such as Espoo's significant infrastructure projects. However, we cannot live beyond our means, and now the City of Espoo has clear pressure to save in order to reduce the current debt ratio. For this, Espoo's economy needs to grow and debt needs to be reduced. As an entrepreneur, I can say that growth truly comes only from successful businesses. For improving the economy, we already have a working recipe:

  • Set a goal in Espoo for budget balance, where the city no longer plans unreasonably deficit budgets in relation to predicted income and economic growth.
  • Turn Espoo into the entrepreneurial capital of Finland with a enterprise strategy.
  • Enhance Espoo's public administration with innovative solutions. This could include an unprejudiced study of utilizing artificial intelligence in Espoo's services.
  • Prioritize city funds for Espoo's statutory core duties. Extra expense items should be cut.
  • Promote entrepreneurship education and employment for young Espoo residents by expanding the entrepreneurship voucher model.
  • Ensure that permit processes for businesses from the city's side are clear and consistent. Keep regulation to a minimum so entrepreneurship doesn't wither in bureaucracy.

A High-Quality and Safe Education Pathway as a Key Attraction

Espoo should be a city where every child and young person receives the best possible start in life. Many families move to Espoo with the knowledge that our city provides a good and stable environment for growth. A high-quality and safe education pathway is a crucial factor in achieving this. Education is not only an investment in the future but also a significant attraction that draws new families and professionals to our city. Espoo's strength lies in its diverse educational offerings. A high-quality and safe education pathway can be achieved through the following steps:

  • Maintain specialized classes in our schools and reduce class sizes.
  • Promote the implementation of a mobile phone ban in all schools. Classroom peace must be restored.
  • Teach more financial literacy and entrepreneurial skills to students as part of basic education.
  • Ensure access to high-quality early childhood education. At the same time, Espoo must respect family autonomy and maintain the Espoo supplement for home care allowance.
  • Adopt the South Karelian model for school violence cases, where a criminal report is always filed for illegal acts, even if committed by children under the age of 15.
  • Support children's hobbies by fostering better cooperation between schools and, for example, sports clubs. This could include allowing free use of school facilities for extracurricular activities.
Martti Paldanius, kokoomusnuori sinisessä puvussa hymyilee modernin toimistorakennuksen edessä kaupunkiympäristössä

A more responsible immigration policy benefits Espoo

Immigration policy is primarily a national issue that nevertheless directly affects Espoo. Espoo can greatly benefit from immigration, but can also lose the ingredients for security and success through ill-considered decisions. Responsible policy takes very careful account of immigration incentives and issues related to integration and social segregation. From Espoo's perspective, immigration policy can be influenced with the right approach, for example through urban planning and incentives that affect our city's attractiveness. Espoo needs high-skilled immigration, which is an asset for Espoo-based companies and generates valuable tax revenue. Irresponsible policy, on the other hand, feeds insecurity, gang formation, and segregation in Espoo. These negative side effects can be countered, for example, by:

  • Preventing suburbs from becoming unsafe through urban planning policy.
  • Increasing surveillance through security cameras and police patrols following the Turku model in generally restless and less secure areas.
  • Promoting Finnish language skills. Making Espoo more English-friendly was a partially successful decision, but also problematic. Finnish language skills must be required especially from those staying in the country.
  • Getting the new gang phenomenon under control through active measures and cooperation with police, schools, and other authorities. Sweden's path should not be Finland's or Espoo's path.
  • Strengthening active influence on parliament to address the negative side effects of immigration.

Less brutalist architecture, more cozy urban environments!

Espoo deserves urban planning policies that respect the unique characteristics of our city and create pleasant living environments for all residents. It’s time to say no to excessive densification and concrete jungles. Instead, we should promote nature-friendly construction and low-density housing areas that support family well-being and foster community spirit. A single-family home is a dream for many Finns, and this dream deserves to be recognized. Low-density neighborhoods provide space to raise a family in a safe environment where people truly want to live. While Espoo’s growth is inevitable according to forecasts, it should not come at the expense of its residents or the environment. Responsible urban planning in Espoo means:

  • High-quality and beautiful architecture that respects traditional styles and creates a pleasant urban landscape.
  • A clear vision where Espoo’s growth is primarily based on low-density housing areas and construction that respects nearby nature.
  • Moderate and carefully considered densification, for example, near metro stations, without impacting existing low-density neighborhoods.
  • Inclusive zoning processes. It is crucial to listen to those who live near the areas being developed. This ensures that the needs of residents are taken into account in urban planning.
Martti Paldanius, kokoomusnuori valkoisessa kauluspaidassa ja solmiossa hymyilee aurinkoisella kaupunkikadulla, sininen puvuntakki olalla

Let’s not turn Espoo into Helsinki – Driving is essential for life in Espoo

Espoo has grown and developed over the decades with car travel in mind. This is no coincidence but the result of wise urban planning that has understood the needs of Espoo residents. Driving is not just a mode of transportation – for Espoo residents, it is a lifeline that guarantees freedom, flexibility, and the ability to enjoy a smooth daily life and the diversity of our city. Our neighboring city, Helsinki, has made driving increasingly difficult based on ideological grounds, which has diminished the vitality of its city center. The decline of businesses, especially small shops and shopping centers, along with weakened economic activity, is disheartening to witness.

Moreover, we must ensure that congestion charges are not implemented across the capital region, as this would be extremely harmful to the average Espoo resident. Public transport and driving are not inherently opposites but should be developed side by side. It is important for city decision-makers to understand that driving is essential in Espoo for effectively combining work, family life, and hobbies. A vibrant Espoo:

  • Improves road infrastructure and reduces traffic congestion.
  • Provides sufficient parking spaces in residential areas and near services.
  • Utilizes smart traffic solutions to streamline vehicle traffic.
  • Takes into account the reasonable and profitability-based expansion of public transportation. Public transport should be promoted based on practical benefits, not ideology.
  • Prevents the implementation of congestion charges in the capital region.

Things said about Martti

Politiikan perisynti on arvojen kauppa, johon sortuvat konkaritkin. Martti on kuitenkin ihminen, joka sanoo ja toimii siten, kuin oikeaksi katsoo – ei miellyttääkseen muita. Tätä arvostan päättäjässä eniten. Samalla Martti on etevä neuvottelija, valmis oppimaan ja kuuntelemaan. Hänessä yhdistyvät tahto ja taito.

Ninni Norra, henkilökuva
Ninni Norra
Ajatushautomon puheenjohtaja, palkittu yhteiskunnallinen vaikuttaja

Martti on aktiivinen tekijä, joka saa aikaan muutosta oikeaan suuntaan.

Jocka Träskbäck
Yrittäjä, kaupungin- ja aluevaltuutettu.

Martti on toiminnassaan ahkera ja vastuuntuntoinen, ja hänellä on vahva kyky saada asioita aikaan. Linjakkaana oikeistolaisena hän edustaa arvoja, joihin voi luottaa.

Janne Heikkinen, henkilökuva
Janne Heikkinen
Kansanedustaja, YTM