The main opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP) has further strengthened its lead as Finland’s most popular political party, according to an opinion poll published by the daily Helsingin Sanomat on Wednesday.
The left-leaning party has been led by Antti Lindtman for just over two years, since his predecessor Sanna Marin stepped away from politics.
The SDP has been the most popular party in most polls since September 2024. Since then, its support has grown to its highest level in nearly 20 years. The HS survey indicates that the SDP currently appeals to a wide range of people, and that its supporters tend to be certain about their party choice.
In October-November, the SDP's support slipped slightly below the 25-percent mark – rarely achieved by any party in recent decades – but now it has crossed that threshold again, to 25.3 percent, up by 0.6 percentage points since last month.
The gap between the two most popular parties is now the largest of the entire government period, with the SDP 7.3 percentage points ahead of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s National Coalition Party (NCP). The NCP is in second with 18 percent support, and the opposition Centre Party third at 14.8 percent.
The combined approval rating of the four parties in Orpo’s coalition government now stands at 38.1 percent. That’s down slightly from November, but up from its rock-bottom of 36.9 percent in September.
IL: Kela boss "seriously ill"
Lasse Lehtonen, the director of Finland’s social security benefits agency, Kela, has been diagnosed with a serious illness and will be on sick leave until the end of May, Iltalehti reports.
Lehtonen was transported to Finland via an ambulance flight on Saturday, Kela board chair Vertti Kiukas said on Tuesday evening. There had been much speculation about Lehtonen’s condition and future with the agency after he was escorted away by police after an incident at Brussels airport earlier in December.
At that point he was on a business trip although he was already on sick leave. During the autumn, Lehtonen raised controversy with his management style and comments about Kela employees.
According to Kiukas, at this point, there is nothing to suggest that Lehtonen will not return to work in June. During his absence, he’ll be replaced by Kari-Pekka Mäki-Lohiluoma.
Kiukas described the situation as "very surprising and exceptional". He added that "Lehtonen is receiving the further treatment he needs, and we wish him and his loved ones a peaceful recovery".
SS: News agency replacing journalists with AI
Savon Sanomat, based in eastern Finland, notes that the financially strapped Finnish news agency STT plans to make some journalists redundant, replacing them with artificial intelligence "and other technological solutions".
The news agency, founded in 1887, now has about 140 employees, but plans to cut up to 25 person-years, mostly from the newsroom.
STT’s main owner is Sanoma Media Finland, which this autumn announced that its flagship publications, including Helsingin Sanomat and Ilta-Sanomat, will discontinue or significantly reduce their use of STT.
Sanoma's regional newspapers, such as Aamulehti, published in Tampere, and Satakunnan Kansa Länsi-Suomi, published in Pori and Rauma, will remain STT customers through at least next year, STT board chair Petteri Putkiranta told the Uutissuomalainen news group, which includes Savon Sanomat and owns about 11 percent of STT.
Minister of Transport and Communications Lulu Ranne (Finns) is considering state support for STT as part of a study into the overall state of Finland’s media.
"The study will be completed in February. No decisions will be made before then," Ranne said earlier this month, after earlier declaring that STT will not be allowed to collapse during this government term.
However a survey of political parties in September found little political support for using taxpayer funds to prop up the venerable news agency.
