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Lipponen confident on eurozone survival

Former Speaker of Parliament Paavo Lipponen, who is seeking the SDP nomination for next year's presidential election, believes that the eurozone's debt crisis can be resolved as long as Greece carries out the fiscal measures required of it.

Paavo Lipponen Pitäjänmäkipäivillä 11. syyskuuta.
Paavo Lipponen Pitäjänmäkipäivillä 11. syyskuuta. Image: Yle

Lipponen, who led Finland into the single currency as prime minister in 1999, said that the large euro countries, particularly Germany, have the political will to keep the eurozone together.

The former SDP leader said that dealing with Finland's economic difficulties demands broad-based cooperation within society, such as there was in the late 1990s.

Lipponen added that further interest rate cuts by the European Central Bank will also help if the economic situation deteriorates again.

He made the comments while visiting a neighbourhood event in Helsinki's Pitäjänmäki district on Sunday.

Sources: YLE