Poll: Speaker of Parliament Sauli Niinistö remains favourite choice for next president

National Coalition Party provide two front-runners

Sauli Niinistö

Alexander Stubb

Heidi Hautala

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Sauli Niinistö (National Coalition Party), the Speaker of Parliament and former Finance minister and leader of his party, continues to be the most popular choice for Finland’s next president, even though his backing has declined slightly since the previous poll in January.
     
According to a public opinion poll carried out in July by the news service of the Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE), 41 per cent of respondents named Niinistö as the most popular candidate, while in January’s poll, his backing was still at 44 per cent.
      Niinistö currently enjoys broad support across party boundaries. For example, when asked for the five most popular candidates, Niinistö was the front-runner among the supporters of the opposition Social Democrats, the former party of the incumbent president Tarja Halonen, who has been in office since 2000.
     
The second most popular candidate, albeit a respectable distance adrift, was Minister for Foreign Affairs Alexander Stubb, another National Coalition politician. A total of 6 per cent of respondents would like to see him as Finland’s next president.
      MEP Heidi Hautala (Green League), PM Matti Vanhanen (Centre), and MP and former Minister for Foreign Affairs Erkki Tuomioja (SDP) also received some 4 per cent support each.
     
A total of 2,200 people were interviewed over the internet in the poll conducted by the Finnish market research company Taloustutkimus at the end of July. The margin of error was two percentage points in either direction.
      Finland’s next presidential election is to take place in January 2012. The head of state serves for six years, with a maximum of two terms.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Speaker of Parliament announces surprise marriage (5.1.2009)
  Speaker Sauli Niinistö to skate at opening of European Championships (15.1.2009)

Links:
  Sauli Niinistö (Wikipedia)

Helsingin Sanomat