There’s no greater indication of a monolithic media than this…
The Finnish media’s reporting, it’s columnists and ‘analysis’ on Trump has been so decisively negative, that it’s become hilarious to follow.
Unsurprising poll
Tampere’s Aamulehti carries a poll by the Alma Media group showing that the opposition Finns Party continues to hold a lead with voters, being the party of first choice of 21.7 percent of those surveyed.
In second place was the other main opposition party, the National Coalition Party (NCP), with the backing of 17.5 percent.
As the paper points out, the results are probably not a surprise to anyone. The only finding that Aamulehti did find of special interest was that for the first time, Finns Party supporters were the most confident about their choice. A majority, 61 percent answered that they were “absolutely certain” they would vote for Finns Party candidates. Traditionally, National Coalition Party supporters have been the most party-loyal voters. In this poll, 58 percent of NCP supporters said they were certain of their choice.
Even though these opposition parties held the two top spots in the poll, Aamulehti pointed out that a majority, 53.2 percent of the voters asked, said that they back one of the parties in the five-party government.
No to Trump
Finland’s largest circulation daily, Helsingin Sanomat also carries a political opinion poll, but one more than a little out of the ordinary.
The paper commissioned the Kantar TNS pollster to survey views among Finns of US President Donald Trump, and his possible election to a new four-year term in office.
It found that an overwhelming majority of the over 1,200 people polled do not want to see Trump occupying the White House after this year. Eighty-one percent said that they hope that Trump loses the election in November. Only 11 percent would like to see him reelected.
There was a clear division between Finns Party supporters and everyone else. Thirty-four percent of Finns Party supporters said they were in favour of Trump’s reelection. Even so, even in that party a majority stated they would like to see a new occupant in the White House.
As Helsingin Sanomat points out, Finns of course have no say in US elections, but the actions and decisions of US presidents are of keen interest because of the impact they have on the development and political atmosphere of the whole world.
Just over a third of respondents in the Helsingin Sanomat poll said they believe that a second term for Trump would weaken relations between Finland and the United States. Some five percent think they would improve, and the largest group, 44 percent, said they don’t think his reelection will make any difference to relations between the two countries.
