The latest Yle poll shows the Finns Party candidate Jussi Halla-aho closing the gap with the two front runners in Sunday's first round of the presidential election.
By the time polls closed in advance voting on Tuesday evening, turnout had hit 44.0 percent.
Iltalehti points out that the distribution of these votes is not yet known, but takes a look at what the final results may be, based on voter surveys.
Political researcher Hannu Lahtinen, a specialist in voting behaviour, said he believes that especially the supporters of Finns Party and the Greens will be out in force on election day, and if the votes cast in advance follow the pattern of the latest polls Jussi Halla-aho (Finns) may be a serious contender for a spot in the second and final round.
Lahtinen's analysis is based on the assumption that advance voting reflected a Helsingin Sanomat poll published Monday that found 22 percent support for Alexander Stubb (NCP), 20 percent for Pekka Haavisto (Green) and 18 percent for Jussi Halla-aho.
According to Hannu Lahtinen, much now depends on whose supporters cast advance votes and whose will cast their ballots on Sunday. Typically the bulk of advance votes are cast by older voters and those in rural areas.
He told the paper that although Halla-aho's numbers are on the rise, in general Green candidates usually get a boost from the votes cast on the actual election day. So, it is reasonable to assume that backing for Pekka Haavisto will be higher when the votes on election day have been counted, than it looked in the polls.
Iltalehti also pointed out that media appearances and campaigning around the country by all of the candidates can still make a difference before results are in on Sunday.
Backing for more taxes
Two key opposition parties, the Social Democrats and the Greens, are calling on the government to strengthen the economy by finding more tax revenues, writes Helsingin Sanomat.
The chair of the Greens, Sofia Virta, posted a suggestion on the message service X for taxation of dividends issued by unlisted companies.
The idea was backed by SDP MP Joona Räsänen, who stated in a release that the public sector economy needs to be strengthened both by reducing spending and increasing revenues, including a change in the dividend tax relief currently provided to unlisted companies.
As the paper points out, the International Monetary Fund IMF said Tuesday that, in addition to cuts and structural reforms, a tightening of taxation is needed in Finland. The IMF listed carbon emissions taxation, unifying VAT rates and reforming dividend taxation of unlisted companies as some of the measures that could be implemented.
Security concerns
An editorial piece in Thursday morning's Aamulehti looks at upcoming Nato drills in the region and says that the number of military exercises, and the number of troops participating in them, the flow of news about the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, the Houthi missile attacks in the Red Sea and the US response to them, all easily arouse concern and fear about Finland also getting into a war.
More than 90,000 soldiers will participate in Nato's Steadfast Defender exercise by the end of May. The Nordic Response 24 sub-exercise will be training for joint defense in the northern parts of Norway, Sweden and Finland. Some 4,100 Finnish troops will participate in the exercise, half of them reservists.
Concern and fears about security, the paper writes, are pointless, saying that never before in its history has Finland been so well equipped to defend its territory as it is now. Russia will not attack Finland, says Aamulehti, because it would result in immense losses for Russia and the response of the currently 31 and soon 32 Nato countries. In addition, Russia's resources are currently being consumed at a furious pace by what the paper calls "Putin's stupid attack" in Ukraine.
Europe is getting its defense industry up to speed. The war in Ukraine will end with the defeat of Russia, be it in five or fifteen years. Meanwhile, Finland has no need to panic, writes Aamulehti.
Up and down
Winter weather continues to be something of a rollercoaster ride.
Ilta-Sanomat reports that the rain which has been plaguing southern Finland in particular will end, for now, as the weather cools on Thursday and Friday, with nighttime temperatures falling to as low as -15C in southern areas.
More snow is once again in the forecast across the whole of the country at the weekend, but it will not be the same type of "snow inferno" as experienced last week, writes Ilta-Sanomat.
However, the paper warns readers that fluctuating temperatures and fresh snowfall will again mean very slippery road conditions.
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