Finnish national daily Helsingin Sanomat on Thursday quoted a Taylor Nelson Sofres poll as indicating that the National Coalition party remained the country's biggest party with a rating of 23.1 per cent, down by a tenth of a percentage point from a similar poll carried out in November last year.

The poll gave the opposition Social Democrats 21.3 per cent, up by eight-tenths of a point, with the Centre party in third place with 19.9 per cent, down by a tenth of a point.

All changes fit in the margin of error, stated as two percentage points either way.

Commissioned by the paper, TNS interviewed about 2,900 people in February and March.

STT