Finland probes employment data discrepancies in Helsinki project threatening 35 million state funding

The Garden Helsinki project faces new challenges as discrepancies in employment figures come to light. The project's company, Projekti GH Oy, provided significantly higher employment impact estimates to the Prime Minister's office and the Ministry of Finance compared to the Ministry of Education and Culture. This discrepancy could jeopardize the project's state funding of €35 million, which is conditional on the start of construction.
According to reports, the project's scale has been significantly reduced from its original plan, which may require a new zoning plan and delay construction. The delay in construction threatens the conditional state funding of €35 million.
Former Mayor Jan Vapaavuori lobbied for the project with high employment figures, which experts and the city's own assessments considered exaggerated. The project's employment impact estimates were revised downward multiple times in 2024, from initial projections of 7,000-8,000 person-years during construction and 1,800 person-years during operation to more conservative figures.
Meanwhile, a heatwave affecting about a quarter of France has led to the early closure of some Paris landmarks and disrupted visitor operations. France also temporarily shut down three nuclear reactors during the heatwave. The European Environment Agency has warned about the resilience of Europe to extreme weather, citing €822 billion in losses since 1980 due to climate-related events.
In Spain, a fatal wildfire was reported to be almost under control on July 12, allowing hundreds of evacuees to return. However, a victim's son disputed the warning timeline, saying relatives did not receive timely alerts. Spanish authorities described the warning steps they said were taken.
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