Finns Favour SDP’s Antti Lindtman as Next Prime Minister, Survey Shows
A recent survey commissioned by Maaseudun Tulevaisuus reveals that Antti Lindtman, leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), is the public’s preferred choice among current party leaders to become Finland’s next prime minister. Lindtman received 17 percent support in the poll, making him the most popular candidate for the role.
Antti Kaikkonen of the Centre Party and Riikka Purra of the Finns Party tied for second place, each garnering 11 percent of respondents’ support. Prime Minister Petteri Orpo of the National Coalition Party (NCP) ranked fourth, with 9 percent backing for another term in office (Yle).
The survey also found that 13 percent of respondents believed none of the current party leaders would be the best choice for prime minister, a figure described as "slightly concerning" by political researcher Kimmo Elo. Another 15 percent of respondents were unable to express a preference (Ilta-Sanomat).
Other party leaders polled lower in the survey. Sofia Virta of the Green League and Minja Koskela of the Left Alliance each received 7 percent support, while Harry Harkimo of Movement Now secured 4 percent. Anders Adlercreutz of the Swedish People’s Party and Sari Essayah of the Christian Democrats both polled at 3 percent (Yle).
The results align with broader party support trends, as the SDP has consistently led in recent polls. For instance, Helsingin Sanomat’s June survey placed the SDP at 24.1 percent, while Yle’s poll showed 23 percent support. However, Lindtman’s personal support remains below his party’s overall popularity. Similarly, Prime Minister Orpo’s 9 percent support is notably lower than the NCP’s 17–18 percent backing in party polls (Ilta-Sanomat).
The survey was conducted by Kantar Agri in late May, with approximately 1,000 respondents. The margin of error for the full sample is approximately three percentage points in either direction.