芬兰拟取消现有一切福利制度
The Finnish government is currently drawing up plans to introduce a national basic income. A final proposal won't be presented until November 2016, but if all goes to schedule, Finland will scrap all existing benefits and instead hand out €800 ($870) per month -- to everyone.
芬兰政府目前正在计划推出一项国家基本收入计划。该计划最早可能从2016年11月开始实施，如果一切顺利的话，芬兰将取消现有的一切福利制度，每月发800欧元（870美元）给公民。
It sounds far-fetched, but it's looking likely that Finland will carry through with the idea. Whereas several Dutch cities will introduce basic income next year and Switzerland is holding a referendum on the subject, there is strongest political and public support for the idea in Finland.
A poll commissioned by the government agency planning the proposal, the Finnish Social Insurance Institution or KELA, showed that 69% support (link in Finnish) a basic income plan. Prime minister Juha Sipilä is in favor of the idea and he’s backed by most of the major political parties. "For me, a basic income means simplifying the social security system," he says.
But for those outside Finland, the plan raises two obvious questions: Why is this a good idea, and how will it work?
It may sound counterintuitive, but the proposal is meant to tackle unemployment. Finland's unemployment rate is at a 15-year high, at 9.53% and a basic income would allow people to take on low-paying jobs without personal cost. At the moment, a temporary job results in lower welfare benefits, which can lead to an overall drop in income.