At a regular meeting of euro zone finance ministers in Brussels, the chair of the conservative National Coalition Party admitted that this was a "really ambitious" goal.
"We have some time to put our public finances in order again," he added. "The problems are still there and everybody knows what the problem is, it's huge debt in the national context ... and now hopefully we have bought some time to put things in order again."
President & FM Meet with Latin Leaders
Meanwhile President Tarja Halonen and Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb (NCP) were in Madrid on Monday to attend the EU's joint summit with Latin American and Caribbean countries. The conference, which wraps up on Tuesday, is focusing on state support for science, technology and innovation as well the financial crisis and climate change.
And in Helsinki on Monday, another National Coalition cabinet member, Defence Minister Jyri Häkämies, held talks with his Swiss opposite number, Ueli Maurer, who took office earlier this year. He is a leader of the right-wing Swiss Peoples' Party (SVP).