Finland's Chancellor of Justice asked PM Orpo to explain whether he was disqualified from the EUR 35 million Helsinki Garden arena subsidy, given campaign funding from a figure linked to the project
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In 2025 Finland's government conditionally reserved EUR 35 million in state support for the privately developed Helsinki Garden arena. Professor emeritus Pekka Viljanen told Yle the funding was granted without a normal application process, which he called at least poor governance, and that it may bear the hallmarks of structural corruption; he said he could not verify alleged links to election financing. Ilpo Kokkila, majority owner of construction firm SRV, which is involved in planning the project, has given significant campaign funding to Orpo's National Coalition Party over 15 years, and former National Coalition minister Jan Vapaavuori chairs the arena company. Yle reports the Chancellor of Justice sent Orpo a request to clarify whether he is disqualified from decisions on the project, with a reply due by the end of August 2026; Orpo has said he did not negotiate with Vapaavuori about the arena. The government withdrew the pledge on July 20, 2026 and survived a confidence vote 101 to 90 on July 21. No finding of wrongdoing has been made.
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