Interior Minister Petteri Orpo of the National Coalition Party is the most popular of the 14 government ministers, according to a poll carried out for Yle. The survey was carried out by Taloustutkimus as the cabinet wraps up its first year in office.
Finns surveyed give Orpo the best average grade, 7.1 out of 10 points.
Earning the second highest rating is Defence Minister Jussi Niinistö of the Finns Party, followed by Minister of Economic Affairs Olli Rehn of the Centre Party, a former European Commissioner for Economic Affairs.
Orpo also topped the list when voters were asked which minister has done the best job so far – even among supporters of the biggest opposition parties, the SDP and the Greens. Orpo is now running to replace Finance Minister and ex-premier Alexander Stubb as head of the conservative National Coalition Party (NCP).
Toivakka hurt by tax kerfuffle
In contrast to Orpo's success, there appears to be little support for Stubb and fellow NCP ministers Lenita Toivakka and Sanni Grahn-Laasonen.
Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Toivakka received the lowest scores, averaging a 6. She was recently involved in a public dispute with opposition MP Timo Harakka of the Social Democratic Party, accusing him in Parliament of lying after he cited facts regarding her family company's offshore tax planning schemes. She later apologised for misleading MPs and for calling Harakka a liar.
Stubb divides opinion
Stubb received nearly as poor marks as Toivakka: 6.1. He stepped down as prime minister last May after an undistinguished 10 month term that began when he took over as NCP leader when Jyrki Katainen left for an EU Commissioner's job Brussels. Minister of Education and Culture Grahn-Laasonen, who has championed the government's deeply unpopular cuts to education, got the same 6.1 grade.
Stubb also leads a separate list of ministers seen as doing a weak job. Second on that list is Prime Minister Juha Sipilä. He seems to divide Finns' opinions, as he is also second on the chart of ministers who have performed best in their jobs. His 'school grade' of 6.5 places him mid-table overall.
Centre turns back on Berner
Third on the 'black list' of ministers who've done poorly is Minister of Transport and Communications Anne Berner of the Centre. The Swiss-Finnish businesswoman is actually more popular among supporters of the NCP than among those of her own party, which Taloustutkimus Research Director Jari Pajunen calls "exceptional". He suspects that is mostly due to her moves to cut rural rail services.
Pajunen also notes the drastic drop in support for Finns Party chair Timo Soini, noting that dissatisfaction with the populist party – now in its maiden term in government – is channelled against its leader. Meanwhile he is surprised by the popularity of Defence Minister Niinistö, who has garnered support over party lines and among younger voters.
Taloustutkimus interviewed just over 1,000 adult Finns between April 21 and May 15.
