HS: Finns are increasingly dissatisfied with government

NEARLY HALF of Finns are dissatisfied with the government of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP), reveals a survey by Helsingin Sanomat. The survey found that the share of respondents who are dissatisfied with the government has jumped by 10 percentage

By: helsinkitimes.fi

Jul 05 2024
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HS: Finns are increasingly dis

NEARLY HALF of Finns are dissatisfied with the government of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP), reveals a survey by Helsingin Sanomat.

The survey found that the share of respondents who are dissatisfied with the government has jumped by 10 percentage points to 45 per cent in the past six months, while the share of respondents who are satisfied with the government has stayed almost unchanged, rising from 31 to 33 per cent.

Also Orpo himself is regarded highly by fewer and fewer Finns. Roughly a third (32%) of respondents stated that they are satisfied and almost a half (47%) that they are dissatisfied with his performance as premier.

Supporters of the National Coalition and Finns Party, the two senior partners in the four-party ruling coalition, are increasingly satisfied with the government, however. About 80 per cent of National Coalition supporters and 70 per cent of Finns Party supporters expressed their satisfaction with the government, both figures signalling a 20-point increase from the survey conducted six months ago.

The Christian Democrats and Swedish People’s Party, the two junior coalition partners, were the only parliamentary parties whose approval rating has not improved among their own supporters since the start of the year. The former was deemed to have performed fairly or very well by 60 per cent of supporters, representing a drop of 10 points, and the latter by 40 per cent of its supporters, no change from the previous survey.

The survey respondents were also asked to give their opinion on the job performance of certain cabinet members.

Over a half of them voiced their dissatisfaction with Minister of Finance Riikka Purra (PS), Minister of Economic Affairs Wille Rydman (PS) and Minister of Social Affairs and Health Kaisa Juuso (PS). Juuso was assessed to have performed fairly or very well by only 14 per cent, Rydman by 15 per cent of respondents.

Finns Party supporters, though, continue to back their own ministers in higher numbers – 66 per cent of them being satisfied with Purra, 50 per cent with Rydman and 38 per cent with Juuso.

Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen (NCP) and Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen (NCP) received the highest approval ratings in the survey, 51 per cent and 43 per cent, respectively.

President Alexander Stubb was deemed to have performed his duties well by roughly two-thirds of respondents, a far cry from the final, 88-per-cent approval rating received by his predecessor, President Sauli Niinistö. The survey was the first in the series that gauged public satisfaction with President Stubb.

Verian conducted 1,120 online interviews for the survey on 19–24 June. The results have a margin of error of just under three points.

Aleksi Teivainen – HT