Incumbent president Sauli Niinistö was ranked as the best president in Finnish history in a poll published on Tuesday.
In the survey published by the Uutissuomalainen (USU) newspaper group, 37 percent of respondents chose Niinistö when asked to name the best president.
Niinistö, who is to step down next spring after two six-year terms as mandated by the Finnish constitution, is the 12th head of state since Finland gained independence in 1917.
Before becoming president, he served as chair of the National Coalition Party, finance minister, justice minister, speaker of Parliament, and a director at the European Investment Bank. As president, he has enjoyed broad support across most of the Finnish political spectrum, including for his handling of ties with Russia and its attack on Ukraine.
Authoritarian Kekkonen ranked 2nd
Rated as the second-most popular with 12 percent was Urho Kekkonen, who governed with an authoritarian hand from 1956 to 1981, making him the longest-serving Finnish president. He was previously prime minister representing the Centre Party (then known as the Agrarian League)
Third in the poll was Niinistö's predecessor, Tarja Halonen with 11 percent. A former trade union lawyer and chair of Seta, Finland's main sexual and gender minorities' rights group, she served from 2000 to 2012 after holding several ministerial portfolios representing the Social Democratic Party.
Next on the list were former SDP premier Mauno Koivisto (1981-1994) and former National Progressive Party minister Risto Ryti (1940-44), who both received six percent support.
In sixth place was SDP-backed Martti Ahtisaari (1994-2000), who went on to win a Nobel Peace Prize for his mediation work.
About 1,000 Finns responded to the USU poll, conducted by Tietoykkönen from 6-14 June. Fifteen percent of respondents declined to express a view.
Finns go to the polls to choose Niinistö's successor in just over five months.
According to public opinion polls, the front-runners so far are former foreign minister Pekka Haavisto (Green) and Bank of Finland governor and ex-European commissioner Olli Rehn (Cen).
