National Coalition Party Chairman, Minister of Finance Jyrki Katainen, has told fellow party member and European Parliament candidate Kai Pöntinen to stop running an election advertisement that lends itself to accusations of racism.
      In the ad, which was placed on the front page of Helsingin Sanomat on Friday, Pöntinen calls for a "stop to welfare bum immigrants". Katainen said that the advertisement is to be dropped because it can be misconstrued.
     
"I didn't like the ad, because it gives the wrong impression of Pöntinen's thinking. I have asked Pöntinen to stop using the advertisement", Katainen said on the morning.
      Katainen emphasised that Finland will need more immigrants in the future, as the members of the postwar baby boom generation retire. However, he added that open and critical debate is also needed on the immigration question.