Finland says Paris summit "very bad idea"

HELSINKI (Reuters) - Finland strongly criticized a financial summit hosted by France on Saturday, saying all European countries should have a say on how to resolve the crisis rather than just the bigger nations.

"In my opinion it's a very bad idea," Finance Minister Jyrki Katainen told national Finnish broadcaster YLE, noting that the monthly meeting of EU Economics and Finance Ministers will happen on Monday and Tuesday.

"If big countries and representatives of EU institutions like the head of the ECB and maybe someone from the Commission meet today and discuss amongst themselves... it's not a good way to work. We're all in the same boat," Katainen said.

"Finland, Sweden and all EU countries should be in the same position as the decision makers ... Is the message from the meeting going to be: 'We have agreed on this and you have to accept it'? Let's hope not," he said.

European leaders meet on Saturday for a summit French President Nicolas Sarkozy hopes will limit the damage caused by the worst financial crisis since the 1930s.

Sarkozy has invited leaders from fellow European G8 members -- Germany's Angela Merkel, Italy's Silvio Berlusconi and Britain's Gordon Brown.

Policymakers including European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet and Jean-Claude Juncker, chairman and chief spokesman for the finance ministers of the euro currency zone, are also expected to attend.

The meeting follows approval by the U.S. Congress of a $700-billion bank bailout plan.

(Reporting by Brett Young; editing by Keith Weir)