Helsingin Sanomat carries inquiry has provided individual questionnaires to leading Finnish politicians since the beginning of the crisis in Ukraine.
It is no surprise to see that president Sauli Niinistö Acceptance ratings are high after his extensive international diplomacy on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and a parallel discussion about Finland’s possible application to join NATO.
About 86 percent of the respondents were satisfied with Niinistö’s work and about 63 percent about the prime minister. Sanna Marin (SDP), 66 percent liked the defense minister Antti Kaikkonenn (Cen) efforts and 62 percent said the foreign minister Pekka Haavisto (Green) had performed satisfactorily.
Niinistö’s score dropped so that 55 per cent said they were “very satisfied” with his performance and 31 per cent “quite satisfied”.
The survey was conducted on 25-30. March, and 1,081 respondents asked for their views on Finland’s senior foreign and security policy-makers.
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Hopes for 2024
Although the current president is very popular, his term will end in 2024, and the Finnish constitution will block his candidacy again.
Kauppalehti has editorial watching the runners and riders of that race, but at the same time respecting Niinistö’s work in strengthening the presidential institution.
There may have been talk of Finland getting along without the head of state, but now it’s gone: the prime ministers have too much on their plate to skillfully manage relations with Russia.
Regardless of what Russia does or how Finland reacts, it will remain a neighbor, and according to KL, the discussion channel must be kept open.
In 2024, the magazine will look at the main candidates, although no one has indicated that they are a candidate, and suggests that perhaps Alexander Stubb may be due to return to the Finnish elections.
Stubb has said he avoids domestic politics and is currently working at the European University Institute, but KL suggests that a mostly international role, like the president, could be attractive.
Climate alarm
Ministers will meet on Tuesday for budget framework negotiations, with difficult choices to be made.
Iltalehti has a comment piece It looks at how the choices now made to respond to the war could either exacerbate the climate crisis or help resolve it, following a new report by the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Report was a familiar read. Humanity has a small and shrinking potential to avoid warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius and has devastating effects on hundreds of millions of people.
The IPCC says we must also use unprecedented carbon capture technology if we want to curb the worst and reduce emissions significantly.
Iltalehti reiterates the lost opportunities, including the large subsidies distributed to Finnair without climate sharing (unlike the subsidies granted to Air France, for example), but says that now the war in Ukraine makes the task even more urgent.
Due to the displacement of previous spending ceilings and support for the agricultural and energy sectors, ministers have major problems that need to be addressed when drawing up spending plans.