| Summary: | This thesis comparatively examines the neoliberal policy discourse in two governmental programs: Juha Sipilä’s 2015 ‘Finland, a land of solutions’ (FALOS) and Petteri Orpo’s 2023 ‘A strong and committed Finland’ (ASACF). The goal of the thesis is to examine how these programs represent the relationship between neoliberalism and the welfare state through discourse analysis. The analysis focuses on how the two programs articulate neoliberal policies and argues that, rather than view neoliberalism and welfarism as conflicting positions, they present neoliberal economics as solutions to the endemic problems of the welfare state. It is notable that they do so without ever using the term ‘neoliberalism’ itself. Based on this analysis, the thesis concludes in its findings that Finland’s economic situation, and the different problems it faces in regard to growth or employment, are used as justification for the neoliberal reforms, including deregulation. As the economic situation is seen as challenging and both programs suggest that economic growth is needed to fund the welfare state, neoliberal reforms are presented as enablers of the economic growth. Simultaneously with the economic growth, the programs also call for individual responsibility as a way of reducing the expenditures of the welfare state. A strong rhetoric of the individual’s duty towards the state i.e. the responsibility to provide for oneself, is present in both programs. I conclude in my thesis that, rather than being on opposing sides, neoliberalism and the welfare state are presented by these two Finnish governments as beneficial to each other, or at the very least, as capable of coexistence.
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