Ville Itälä, a Finnish Conservative party Euro-MP, was quoted as saying by online party organ Verkkouutiset on Tuesday that he did not want his party to join the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe.

Itälä and Hannu Takkula, a Centre party MEP, had been quoted as saying by Turun Sanomat that the two parties' Euro-MPs should join forces under a single European party.

The Finnish Conservative party is currently a member of the European People's party.
Itälä resolutely rejected Takkula's invitation to join Alde.

"It is completely out of the question for the National Coalition party to join Alde," Itälä told Verkkouutiset.
"It is a small group of which nobody should be a member to be blunt."

Itälä added that Finnish Euro-MPs' influence would be maximised if Centre party MEPs and Carl Haglund of Finland's Swedish People's party joined EPP.

STT
LEHTIKUVA - MARTTI KAINULAINEN