Greens – The True Defenders of the Market Economy

The Green Party congress convened in Turku on 24–25 May 2026 to adopt a new party programme. I submitted amendment proposal 36/Lavanti, which would have added the following sentence to the programme introduction: For the Greens, the market economy is a tool to effectively advance these goals. The proposal received strong support, but not enough votes to reach the introduction – the sentence was instead added to the economic section. I also gave a speech at the congress, reproduced in full below.

Esteemed party congress,

The market economy is one of humanity’s most powerful inventions. No other mechanism is as effective at allocating resources, whether services or goods, and it is time for us Greens to say this out loud.

After this government term, it should by now be clear to everyone that the National Coalition Party does not pursue market economics but accountant economics. The alternative is not the Left Alliance, which focuses mainly on opposing change and pursues socialism. Markets would not work better if we banned and regulated everything. The alternative is not the Social Democrats either, who would do everything the same as the National Coalition Party, but more fairly. If we want a market economy that takes externalities and sustainability into account, there is no better alternative than the Greens.

Voters clearly know this too. Even though the party’s communication focuses mainly on themes associated with the left, support has drained from us to parties further left. At the same time, growth comes mainly from the right and centre. In other words, people are now clearly looking for an alternative to the National Coalition Party. The best alternative is the Greens. Markets work best when pollution has a cost. When externalities are priced in. When competition is fair and money cannot buy a monopoly position. That is not ideology – it is common sense.

The market economy cannot of course be free of all regulation – but free of unfair competition. It is not the privilege of large corporations, but the opportunity for small and new businesses. It is not the pursuit of short-term profits, but long-term sustainable growth. When taxes are collected on harms, not on work. When markets are transparent and fair.

Let us raise the market economy to the introduction of our political programme – where it belongs, as I proposed in amendment 36/Lavanti.

We want a Finland where the economy grows, but nature is not destroyed. We want a Finland where innovations flourish, and monopolies do not dominate. We want a Finland where competition is fair and everyone can realise their potential.

This is our moment. Let us be the party that takes care of the economy and wellbeing.

Thank you.

Why are the Greens the true defenders of the market economy?

Green economic policy is built on three principles: harms have a cost, competition is fair, and markets are transparent. I have written about this in more detail previously: green economic policy requires a seat at the table. The market economy and sustainability are not opposites – they are two sides of the same coin. See also how AI changes the economics of public services and what that means for market development. All my writing on economics is in the economy category.