Key political figures in the running of the Greater Helsinki area's various communities resolved on Monday that the time was not right for an examination of the merging of Helsinki,. Espoo, Vantaa, and Kauniainen into one large metro unit.
According to a group charged with coordinating cooperation between the four cities, cooperation has progressed well in recent years and there is every reason to continue in the same vein.
The Chair of the Helsinki City Board Suvi Rihtniemi (National Coalition Party) expressed the conviction that voluntary collaboration was the only sensible way forward, when there is no common agreement on anything else.
The four cities will decide their own stands on a giant merger on June 10th.
In advance of this it has been considered pretty much a certainty that at least Espoo and Kauniainen will take a dim view of even a study to determine the pros and cons of such a move.
On the other hand, politicians in Helsinki have been quite enthusiastic about the idea of fusing the cities.
Rihtniemi noted nevertheless that there was no way for such a merger to go forward if the only place backing it were Helsinki, for instance.
"If others have no wish to move on a study on the subject, then the ball is in the state's court", she said.
The Helsinki MP and Minister of Public Administration and Local Government Mari Kiviniemi (Centre Party) has earlier commented that the government will start considering the fate of the Greater Helsinki area next year.
