In an effort to end poverty and make society more equal, Finland is planning to gift each of its 5.4 million citizens a monthly payment of 800 euros (approximately $871). The government hopes that by implementing this progressive and ambitious initiative, it can stop the need for welfare altogether.
The payments will be life-long, and they will be paid to every single person in Finland (including babies), regardless of their financial situation. While skeptics claim this ‘basic income’ will deter many from working, that logic could easily be applied to the welfare state. At least this way, nobody can complain that some get more than others, or have reason to attack the most vulnerable for needing some help: wouldn’t it be nice to live in a society with no poor-shaming?
Many will argue that this simply wouldn’t work in other countries due to national debt and the ongoing global financial crisis. But Finland is hardly doing well: while unemployment stands relatively low at 10%, the country has been in a recession for three years, and like other European countries, public spending has been heavily affected by austerity cuts. Despite all this, the government is willing to take a big risk to eradicate poverty. Most Finnish people (around 60%) support the plans, which are expected to be implemented in 2017.
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