More than half of Finns would include SDP in next government, poll shows

A majority of Finns would like to see the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the country’s next government, according to a new survey by Finnish news outlet Uusi Suomi and pollster Iro Research.

The poll found that 52 percent of respondents would include the SDP in the next coalition, making it the most preferred party for government participation. The Centre Party followed with 39 percent support, while the National Coalition Party (Kokoomus) ranked third at 34 percent.

The Green League and the Left Alliance also saw significant backing, with 32 percent and 30 percent of respondents supporting their inclusion, respectively. Only 20 percent of those surveyed would include the Finns Party in the next government.

Among current Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s National Coalition Party supporters, the preferred coalition partners were the Centre Party and the Swedish People’s Party (RKP).

Jussi Westinen, a political science researcher at Tampere University, noted that while the Finns Party would accept the National Coalition Party in a future government, the feeling is not mutual. “The sentiment is far weaker in the other direction,” he told Uusi Suomi.

The survey, conducted in late March, included responses from 1,000 Finns and has a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points.