Cutting business subsidies is the only way of adjusting public finances that the majority of Finnish voters support. That’s according to a survey published on Saturday by the Foundation for Municipal Development (Kaks).
Sixty percent of respondents approved of reducing business subsidies as a means of balancing the budget. The most unpopular moves suggested by the survey were cutting pensions and public welfare services or increasing borrowing.
All other proposed means of adjustment were opposed by a majority of people polled.
Close to half of those surveyed (44 percent) said that they would support postponing major infrastructure investments such as public transport as a means to balance the books.
More than half of respondents were also opposed to raising the retirement age, reducing and consolidating public service points, raising taxes, and cutting social or unemployment benefits.
Reducing pensions drew the sharpest opposition, with 83 percent of respondents rejecting the idea. Meanwhile three quarters said no to increased borrowing and nearly 70 percent disapproved of cutting public welfare services. Two-thirds said they opposed raising the retirement age.
More than 60 percent dismissed the idea of reducing the number of public service points and consolidating them into larger units, with similar numbers opposed to higher taxation or cutting social and unemployment benefits.
Voters of all political stripes oppose borrowing
A majority of supporters of all major political parties had a negative attitude towards increasing borrowing, except for supporters of the Left Alliance.
Supporters of left-leaning parties and the Greens opposed cuts to social and unemployment benefits, but approved higher taxes, expanding the tax base and lowering business subsidies.
Supporters of the opposition National Coalition Party (NCP) – which is leading opinion polls in the run-up to April’s election – were more likely to approve of cuts in welfare services and social benefits. They were more sceptical of tax increases and increased borrowing.
Among the five current governing parties, the views of the supporters of the Centre and Swedish People’s Party were in some respects closer to those of the NCP than to those of their government partners, the Social Democrats, Left Alliance and Greens. This was particularly true regarding tax hikes, expanding the tax base, benefit cuts and increased borrowing.
The polling firm Kantar TNS surveyed just over 4,000 adults in mainland Finland in January. It said that the margin of error was 1.5 percentage points in either direction.
Advance voting for this spring’s parliamentary elections begins 10 days from now, on 22 March. Election day is 2 April.
