Tax reduction, increased spending and debt reduction form part of an ambitious agenda set out by Matti Vanhanen, Finland's prime minsiter, ahead of parliamentary elections next month.

The leader of Finland's Centre party, who has been prime minister for four years, told the Financial Times that he could take credit for last year's economic growth of nearly 6 per cent and claimed this progress allowed him a "chance to make cuts to taxation, increase the budget and pay loans back".