In talks with his Finnish counterpart on Wednesday, Monti stressed that the Italians have made great sacrifices to balance the nation’s economy.
At a press conference after talks at Finnish Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen’s residence, Kesäranta, the Italian premier warned of the dangers involved in the potential spreading of the crisis.
“Great efforts are needed. Italy has to do its homework, but at the same time we need solutions at a European level,” Monti told reporters.
Monti also brought up the subject of Italian pension reform at the press conference. He said Finland’s recovery from the 1990s recession was an example for Italy.
The Italian PM stated that Finland held a significant position in handling the European financial situation. Earlier Monti had criticised Finnish politicians for making the situation worse.
Katainen: “A different kind of meeting”
Finland’s Prime Minister said both sides now understood each other better.
Katainen told reporters his meeting with Monti had been special on many levels. Not only had they discussed technical issues but also questions of how the financial crisis is seen and what is expected of other nations in this situation.
The Finnish premier noted that many in Finland and in other eurozone states considered the situation to be unfair as some countries had failed to abide by common rules.
“We must understand each other because the situation is so challenging,” observed Katainen.
Later on Wednesday, the Italian prime minister met with President Sauli Niinistö and Parliamentary Speaker Eero Heinäluoma.