The most crucial themes in the run-up to this spring's municipal elections are health services, care of the elderly, employment, municipal finances and neighbourhood safety, according to a survey published by the Foundation for Municipal Development (Kaks) on Saturday.
Municipal mergers were seen as the least important of a list of issues. Also rated as less important themes were immigration and cultural services as well as competitive procurement and outsourcing of municipal services.
Health services, eldercare, primary schools and municipal finances were ranked among the top 10 issues regardless of respondents' party preferences.
Other common concerns were employment, neighbourhood safety and combatting the coronavirus pandemic. The sote reform of health and social services was important to supporters of three government parties: the Social Democrats (SDP), the Greens and the Left Alliance.
Supporters of Prime Minister Sanna Marin's SDP were also more likely to be concerned about public transportation, library and cultural services as well as healthcare and the pandemic. Backers of the Left Alliance and the Greens also emphasised public transport, libraries and cultural services, along with environmental and nature protection.
Supporters of another government partner, the Centre Party, were more likely to be concerned about daycare centres and primary schools, business development, taxes and eldercare.
Opposition supporters concerned about immigration, business prospects
Meanwhile those who back the opposition conservative National Coalition Party (NCP) tended to stress business development, municipal finances, municipal mergers, outsourcing of municipal services and taxation.
Supporters of the largest opposition group, the Finns Party, were most focused on immigration, state debt and the safety of the local living environment.
The survey was carried out by polling company Kantar TNS, which interviewed just over 1,000 adults late last year. It estimates the margin of error at just under three percentage points.
Local elections are held every four years in Finland's 309 municipalities. The next municipal election is on 18 April, with advance voting in Finland 7-13 April and abroad 7-10 April.
Foreign residents are allowed to vote in municipal elections if they are citizens of other EU or Nordic states or if they have lived continuously in Finland for at least two years as of 51 days before the election.