Centre Party Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen is calling on candidates in the municipal elections to show restraint when it comes to making campaign promises.
In an interview with Alma Media Group, Vanhanen says that there simply isn't any extra cash in state coffers for covering grand promises. He says that even in bumper years, local governments didn't get large windfalls, and even less should be expected now with the current economic outlook.
"Large new projects cannot be started in an economic downswing," notes the premier.
Vanhanen did made a plea for companies to do their bit to help local governments through the economic downturn. He called on them to resist the urge to cut jobs in the short term, and to ride out financial uncertainties with gains they made last year.