PERSPECTIVE DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS A POLITICAL BATTLEGROUND Finland’s Radical Restructuring of the Labour Market and Welfare State Kaisa Vatanen June 2024 The Finnish centre-right to ex­treme-right wing government has decided to radically reform the Finnish labour market and welfare system despite opposi­tion from within as well as from outside of Finland. The reforms that are being pushed through will alter the fundamental structures of the Finnish system in a way that might prove irreversible. This development challenges the progressive parties and trade union movement to build new visions and alternatives that could protect the Nordic welfare state and rebuild social dialogue in the future.