国际英语新闻:Finland better off within eurozone: Finnish PM

HELSINKI, July 15 (Xinhua) -- Finland is better off with a stable euro currency and the country remaining in the now 17-member single currency eurozone, local media quoted Finnish Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen as saying on Sunday.

The collapse of the euro or Finland's withdrawl from the eurozone would in the end lead to significant cuts in Finland's social and welfare budget and to higher taxes, local newspaper Savon Sanomat quoted Katainen as saying.

He said he hoped the Finns would not have to experience the consequences of either a break-up of the euro or Finland leaving the eurozone.

According to Finnish Broadcasting Company, Finnish President Sauli Niinisto also said on Saturday that he did not believe Finland would leave the common euro currency.

Asked to comment on a poll last week which suggested that a majority of Finns had been increasingly critical of the eurozone in its present form, Niinisto said "it is quite understandable that the situation causes concern. But I don't believe that Finns just want to leave the euro."