Meet Lauri Kaira – an experienced Conservative Party Candidate in Vantaa
Lauri Kaira is a lawyer working as head of advocacy for creative industry and artists. He has extensive political experience, including working as a campaign chief for presidential elections. In Vantaa he is the vice chairman of the city council and in the wellbeing county he is the leader of the conservative counsil group and head of budgetary negotiations committee.
Dear All,
I am running as a candidate for the Conservatives (Kokoomus, a center rightist party) in the upcoming municipal and county elections. Here’s a brief overview of my views and background.
I currently serve as the Vice Chairman of the Vantaa City Council and lead the Conservative group in the Wellbeing Services County council. I am also a member of the County board and chair the budget negotiations committee of the County.
Professionally, I am a lawyer and the Director of Advocacy for the creative industries. My hobbies include writing and publishing jazz music, small-scale boating, and spending time at my summer cottage.
Political Experience
In my early career, I worked for the Conservative Party headquarters, including also several years as the Editor-in-Chief of the party newspaper Nykypäivä and as the campaign manager for presidential elections. I had the honor of working under three party chairmen Ilkka Suominen, Pertti Salolainen, and Sauli Niinistö.
Since then, I have worked led efforts in cultural funding and advocacy, including serving as the Chair of the Finnish Film Foundation.
I am a moderate centrist within the Conservatives. For me, our values mean combination of responsibility, freedom, caring, and everyday security .I am a member of the parish council of Hämeenkylä Parish and the church council of the Vantaa Parish Union.
International experience
I have lived abroad for several years. As youngster I was an exchange student in the United States and graduated there earning also an American high school diploma. As an adult, I lived in Egypt for 2.5 years, working as a TV and radio journalist for Yleisradio.
A particularly memorable experience was being appointed as a member of Finland's parliamentary UN delegation and participating in the UN General Assembly in New York.
Defense and Crisis Preparedness
National defense is important to me. I served 12 years as the chairman of the The Advisory Board for Defence Information (ABDI). It is a permanent parliamentary committee that functions administratively under the Ministry of Defence and is appointed by the Government for the duration of the Parliament’s term of office.
In this role, I became familiar with comprehensive national defense and emergency preparedness. I have been a regular lecturer at national defense courses. My military rank is Captain Lieutenant in the reserves.
300 Million Euro Reform Program
Chairing the budget negotiation committee in the wellbeing county has been a challenging task. It involved both annual budget negotiations and preparing a reform program to enhance our economy.
The reform program aims to improve the economy by 300 million euros. The idea is not to cut services but to enhance their production. We are implementing many reforms gradually. This way, we can balance the economy while ensuring services. We aim for a 2% efficiency improvement each year. Next year, we will achieve with 98 cents what currently costs one euro.
A production method analysis is an important tool in this. It examines what is worth doing ourselves and what should be purchased from companies or organizations.
The reform program is working well, as we have seen in the media. When the region had a deficit of 100 million euros in 2023, it was reduced to 50 million in 2024, and in 2025, the economy will be in surplus, and we will start reducing our debt. At the same time, customer service ratings have improved. The direction is right, but there is still much to do.
We Must Bake the Cake Before We Can Share It
Vantaa faces significant challenges, including employment, but also has strengths. This is Finland's most international city, with a younger age structure than the national average, and an excellent logistical location and airport.
During elections, we politicians traditionally make many promises about how the cake will be shared. However, we must first ensure that the cake can be baked.
Strategy Turns Wishes into Reality
In the Vantaa Conservative Party organization, my most important role has been as the Chair of the Program Committee. This was the second time I was responsible for creating the Conservative’s program for the next four years
.
To ensure the program is not just empty words, we must consider both the goals and the means to achieve them at a strategic level. The "Vantaa for a Good Circle" program includes both aspects.
We want to have good schools, people-centered and high-quality family, sports, and cultural services, smart zoning, and a safe everyday life. All this requires a strong economy and resources. They do not come by themselves. We need continuous efforts for growth, new jobs, and to enhance Vantaa's attractiveness and livability.
Developing the city requires a strong economy. Good services and reasonable taxes can be combined when the city is attractive, and we attract more job-creating companies and improve employment.
Sincerely,
Lauri Kaira
I am running as a candidate for the Conservatives (Kokoomus, a center rightist party) in the upcoming municipal and county elections. Here’s a brief overview of my views and background.
I currently serve as the Vice Chairman of the Vantaa City Council and lead the Conservative group in the Wellbeing Services County council. I am also a member of the County board and chair the budget negotiations committee of the County.
Professionally, I am a lawyer and the Director of Advocacy for the creative industries. My hobbies include writing and publishing jazz music, small-scale boating, and spending time at my summer cottage.
Political Experience
In my early career, I worked for the Conservative Party headquarters, including also several years as the Editor-in-Chief of the party newspaper Nykypäivä and as the campaign manager for presidential elections. I had the honor of working under three party chairmen Ilkka Suominen, Pertti Salolainen, and Sauli Niinistö.
Since then, I have worked led efforts in cultural funding and advocacy, including serving as the Chair of the Finnish Film Foundation.
I am a moderate centrist within the Conservatives. For me, our values mean combination of responsibility, freedom, caring, and everyday security .I am a member of the parish council of Hämeenkylä Parish and the church council of the Vantaa Parish Union.
International experience
I have lived abroad for several years. As youngster I was an exchange student in the United States and graduated there earning also an American high school diploma. As an adult, I lived in Egypt for 2.5 years, working as a TV and radio journalist for Yleisradio.
A particularly memorable experience was being appointed as a member of Finland's parliamentary UN delegation and participating in the UN General Assembly in New York.
Defense and Crisis Preparedness
National defense is important to me. I served 12 years as the chairman of the The Advisory Board for Defence Information (ABDI). It is a permanent parliamentary committee that functions administratively under the Ministry of Defence and is appointed by the Government for the duration of the Parliament’s term of office.
In this role, I became familiar with comprehensive national defense and emergency preparedness. I have been a regular lecturer at national defense courses. My military rank is Captain Lieutenant in the reserves.
300 Million Euro Reform Program
Chairing the budget negotiation committee in the wellbeing county has been a challenging task. It involved both annual budget negotiations and preparing a reform program to enhance our economy.
The reform program aims to improve the economy by 300 million euros. The idea is not to cut services but to enhance their production. We are implementing many reforms gradually. This way, we can balance the economy while ensuring services. We aim for a 2% efficiency improvement each year. Next year, we will achieve with 98 cents what currently costs one euro.
A production method analysis is an important tool in this. It examines what is worth doing ourselves and what should be purchased from companies or organizations.
The reform program is working well, as we have seen in the media. When the region had a deficit of 100 million euros in 2023, it was reduced to 50 million in 2024, and in 2025, the economy will be in surplus, and we will start reducing our debt. At the same time, customer service ratings have improved. The direction is right, but there is still much to do.
We Must Bake the Cake Before We Can Share It
Vantaa faces significant challenges, including employment, but also has strengths. This is Finland's most international city, with a younger age structure than the national average, and an excellent logistical location and airport.
During elections, we politicians traditionally make many promises about how the cake will be shared. However, we must first ensure that the cake can be baked.
Strategy Turns Wishes into Reality
In the Vantaa Conservative Party organization, my most important role has been as the Chair of the Program Committee. This was the second time I was responsible for creating the Conservative’s program for the next four years
.
To ensure the program is not just empty words, we must consider both the goals and the means to achieve them at a strategic level. The "Vantaa for a Good Circle" program includes both aspects.
We want to have good schools, people-centered and high-quality family, sports, and cultural services, smart zoning, and a safe everyday life. All this requires a strong economy and resources. They do not come by themselves. We need continuous efforts for growth, new jobs, and to enhance Vantaa's attractiveness and livability.
Developing the city requires a strong economy. Good services and reasonable taxes can be combined when the city is attractive, and we attract more job-creating companies and improve employment.
Sincerely,
Lauri Kaira