THE SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC Party has emerged as the most well supported political party in Finland.
Helsingin Sanomat on Tuesday released the results of its latest opinion poll, reporting that support for the largest opposition party has increased by 0.8 percentage points in the past month to 21.5 per cent. Support for the National Coalition, meanwhile, fell by 0.4 points to 20.6 per cent, resulting in the two parties swapping places at the top of the poll.
The Finns Party saw its popularity decline for the sixth consecutive poll, falling by 0.8 points to 17.2 per cent. Support for the populist right-wing party has thereby decreased for six consecutive polls, to the total tune of 3.8 points. The party’s approval rating has not been as low since Septmeber 2022.
Changes behind the leading trio were small.
The Centre Party gained 0.1 points to climb to 10.2 per cent, the Left Alliance stood pat at 9.1 per cent, and the Green League gained 0.4 points to climb to 8.8 per cent. Both the Swedish People’s Party and Christian Democratic Party saw their popularity dip by 0.1 points, to 4.1 and 3.9 per cent, respectively. Support for Movement Now crept up by 0.3 points to 2.1 per cent.
Support for the ruling right-wing quartet therefore fell by 1.4 points to 45.8 per cent, representing a decline of 3.6 per cent from the parliamentary elections in April.
A total of 2,388 people were interviewed for the poll between 9 October and 3 November by Verian, the market research company previously known as Kantar Public. The poll results have a margin of error of two points when it comes to the largest parties.
The Greens, Left Alliance and Social Democrats on Tuesday unveiled a joint interpellation questioning the position of young people at the centre of the austerity policy of the government of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP).
The interpellation calls attention to a number of policy decisions that undermine certainty and well-being among young people, including those to tighten the eligibility conditions for earnings-based unemployment security, remove the transfer-tax exemption granted to first-time home buyers, freeze student financial aid and slash the housing allowance.
The three opposition parties also drew attention to the climate crisis and environmental issues, saying they increase feelings of insecurity among young people. Combating the climate crisis and biodiversity loss, the interpellation highlights, are questions of intergenerational equality because the consequences of environmental crises are borne by the children and youth of today.
“The right-wing government’s programme offers nothing but hopelessness to young people and leaves some young people at the verge of adulthood outside society,” Li Andersson, the chairperson of the Left Alliance, was quoted saying at a news conference in Central Library Oodi in Helsinki by Helsingin Sanomat.
Nasima Razmyar (SDP), the first signatory of the interpellation, asked if the current government wants to be the one to create a “lost generation” in Finland.
Aleksi Teivainen – HT
