May 10, 2008

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Monitor) - People in Finland continue to support the country’s three major parties fairly evenly, according to a poll by Taloustutkimus released by YLE Radio News. 22.9 per cent of respondents would back the National Rally (KOK) in the next general election, 21.8 per cent would vote for the Social Democratic Party (SDP), and 21.7 per cent would support the Finnish Centre Party (KESK).

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - People in Finland continue to support the country’s three major parties fairly evenly, according to a poll by Taloustutkimus released by YLE Radio News. 22.9 per cent of respondents would back the National Rally (KOK) in the next general election, 21.8 per cent would vote for the Social Democratic Party (SDP), and 21.7 per cent would support the Finnish Centre Party (KESK).

The results are practically unchanged since March. Support is lower for the Green League (VIHR), the Left Wing League (VAS), the True Finns (PERUSS), the Christian-Democrats (KD), and the Swedish People’s Party (RKP).

Finnish voters renewed the Diet in March 2007. Final results placed the KESK in first place with 23.1 per cent of the vote and 51 seats, followed closely by the KOK with 22.3 per cent and 50 seats, and the SDP with 21.4 per cent and 45 seats. The KESK’s Matti Vanhanen has been Finland’s prime minister since June 2003, after the resignation of Anneli Jaatteenmaki.

In April 2007, Vanhanen formed a coalition government encompassing the KESK, the KOK, the RKP and the VIHR. The four political organizations hold 125 seats in the 200-member Diet. In the previous administration, Vanhanen worked exclusively with the SDP and RKP.

On May 6, Paavo Lipponen—a former prime minister and former chairman of the SDP—said that too many people in the organization are getting old and therefore the next party leader should be younger, declaring, "When the party elects a new chairman, then certainly things should not get a step older. Now there are a number of people up for the job who are at the ideal age, between 30 and 50. I’m prepared to take a stand on this issue, because I’m really worried."

Polling Data

What party would you support in Finland’s next general election?

	Apr. 2008	Mar. 2008	Feb. 2008
National Rally (KOK)	22.9%	22.5%	23.3%
Social Democratic Party (SDP)	21.8%	21.5%	22.5%
Finnish Centre Party (KESK)	21.7%	22.3%	22.0%
Green League (VIHR)	9.9%	10.0%	9.9%
Left Wing League (VAS)	8.3%	8.5%	8.3%
True Finns (PERUSS)	5.2%	5.2%	4.8%
Christian-Democrats (KD)	4.5%	4.7%	4.3%
Swedish People’s Party (RKP)	4.4%	4.1%	4.0%

Source: Taloustutkimus / YLE Radio News
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 2,900 Finns, conducted in April 2008. Margin of error is 2 per cent.