This paper examines the political reaction to Finnish nurses’ proposed strikes in 2022, focusing on parliament’s debate over legislative measures for the industrial action. It analyses how nurses’ strikes are positioned relative to the government and legal structures. The research argues that parliamentary rhetoric distances nurses from the state, framing them as an external threat and thus depoliticizing the strikes. Two perspectives on the state response emerge: one viewing the strikes through Giorgio Agamben’s lens, challenging sovereign power in managing health crises, and another through Michel Foucault’s perspective, challenging the government’s healthcare discourse as a national security issue.