Finnish media reported that a racism row dominated Monday’s government budget discussions, which took place amid rising tensions over controversial immigration remarks by Finns Party MP Teemu Keskisarja last week.

In a late-evening press conference, the government said it had reached an agreement on the "rules of the game" for how immigration is discussed within the governing parties.

Iltalehti reported that all party leaders stated that their parties are committed to the government’s commitment to equality. Following the summer 2023 racism and far-right scandals, the government issued an 'equality statement' committed to promoting equality and combating discrimination in Finnish society.

At Monday’s press conference, the government said the equality rules apply to both ministers and MPs from the governing parties. Ministers who break the rules will be dealt with by the Prime Minister, while MPs will be handled by their party’s parliamentary group, the government announced.

Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP) described the discussion as "serious".

"All governing parties, all party leaders, are committed to not speaking in a way that diminishes human dignity. This applies to both past and future statements," he said.

"For my part, I am sorry that we are in a situation where the commitment of the Finns Party to the joint communication is being questioned," Finance Minister and Finns Party leader Riikka Purra said.

Purra reiterated that the party is committed to the equality statement. However, she said the aim is to address problems without derailing matters.

"Yes, we talk about immigration and its problems, sometimes in colourful and harsh terms, but that's not going to go away," she said.

The actual budget negotiations will begin Tuesday, when party leaders will hear the economic outlook from Olli Rehn, Governor of the Bank of Finland, a briefing that was postponed from Monday.

Lunch lessons

Helsingin Sanomat examines Finland’s popular lunch buffet culture, highlighting how it often leads workers to overeat. The unlimited food spread options threaten the health of workers in Finland, according to Mikko Lindh, Managing Director of food services company Sodexo.

According to Lindh, Finns love lunch buffets for the perceived value, piling their plates high — but this focus on quantity over health makes overeating all too easy.

He noted that buffets also often lead people to stick to familiar dishes and meat for protein, even though vegetables could provide more variety. He said these problems apply to both office cafeterias and other types of lunch buffets.

"The Finnish model of subsidised workplace meals is a great thing in itself. People who eat at staff canteens have meals that are closer to the nutritional recommendations. However, the model needs some further refinement," he said.

Lindh said he wouldn't go as far as limiting portions or imposing restrictions. Instead, he suggests subtly guiding people, for example, with the plate model, to help them build balanced meals.

He also suggested small changes, like placing the vegetarian option alongside the meat dishes to make it easier to choose, instead of on a separate table.

However, Sodexo’s own survey shows that 51 percent of diners still always or almost always chose a meat-based meal.

"Eating meat isn’t bad in itself, but people simply need to eat less," Lindh said, noting that even regular meat-eaters are increasingly willing to try vegetarian options, especially when they are well-seasoned.

Finnair ranked last in a consumer index of European airlines during the summer, so All Points North looked into what's happening at Finland's flag carrier. Listen to the episode via this embedded player, on Yle Areena, via Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

Aurora action

With the days growing darker, Northern Lights season in Finland is set to kick off in style, reports Ilta-Sanomat.

The Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) said that in the coming nights, even southern Finland could catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights, following a coronal mass ejection (CME) from the sun on Saturday.

A CME is a burst of charged particles and magnetic field from the sun that can trigger spectacular auroras on Earth.

Auroras could dazzle Finnish skies on Tuesday and Wednesday night, according to space weather forecaster Matias Takala.

While midnight is usually best, FMI advises being alert as soon as darkness falls.

According to the weather forecast, Tuesday night will be cloudiest in Southwest Finland and Lapland, with mostly clear skies elsewhere, though fog may develop.