Poll reveals 41% of Finns support recognizing state of Palestine
According to a recent poll conducted by Uutissuomalainen, 41% of Finns believe that Finland should recognize the state of Palestine. The survey shows that 17% of respondents oppose recognition, while 42% are unsure of their stance.
Hannu Juusola, a professor of Middle Eastern studies at the University of Helsinki, expressed surprise at the results, noting that they contrast with the Finnish government’s foreign policy leadership, which has not supported such recognition. He explained that the reluctance to recognize Palestine stems from Finland’s cautious political approach, suggesting that recent arms deals with Israel might further contribute to this caution.
The poll also reveals significant differences in responses based on party affiliation. Only 9% of supporters of the Finns Party endorse recognizing Palestine, whereas 82% of Left Alliance supporters and 72% of Green Party supporters are in favor of it.
To date, over 140 countries have recognized Palestine as a state. Most recently, Norway, Ireland, and Spain recognized its statehood in May, along with Slovenia in June.
The survey, conducted in June, gathered responses from 1,000 Finns and carries a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points in either direction.