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The e-mails reveal how the Ministry gave up on the Garden project and how Free Mountain turned to Orpo.

The article discusses the Finnish Ministry of Finance's decision to reject financial support for the Garden Helsinki arena project, despite strong lobbying by the project's representatives. The ministry cited risks related to the project's long-term financing and repayment period, as well as concerns about the state's limited fiscal capacity. The decision was communicated to project representatives Jan Vapaavuori and Ilkka Kilpimaal via email on November 27, 2024, sent by financial advisor Sakari Lehtiö. However, months later, in April 2025, the government approved conditional investment support of 35 million euros for the project during a framework review. This decision caught the ministry off guard, raising questions about the preparation process and the amount decided upon. Initially, the project had sought either direct funding or a loan guarantee. The ministry cited other ongoing arena projects, such as those in Turku and Vantaa, as reasons for rejecting the request. Prime Minister Petteri Orpo later admitted that information about competing projects was not available when the decision was made. Vapaavuori has continued to engage with officials, including a meeting with the部长的