Support for Finland’s Centre Party has fallen close to its lowest levels on record, prompting concern within the party’s parliamentary group.
The Centre Party received 12.6 percent support in the latest Yle poll, leaving it just 0.2 percentage points ahead of the Left Alliance.
The development is being taken seriously within the parliamentary group.
“First of all, it is absurd that we even have to wonder whether the Left Alliance will overtake us. I’m worried as hell,” a source in the group told Ilta-Sanomat.
Centre Party figures interviewed by the newspaper pointed to several reasons for the decline, including increasing political polarisation, an opposition strategy seen as too slow and cautious, an unclear political message and the erosion of the party’s traditional support in rural Finland.
Some also believe the party has failed to distinguish itself clearly enough from its political rivals.
Party leader Antti Kaikkonen continues to enjoy support within the party, but some members believe he has remained too much in the background, particularly on economic policy.
The Centre Party’s opposition strategy has also drawn criticism from within its own ranks. Critics argue that the party has failed to capitalise on difficulties facing the government, including public frustration over fuel prices.
Party struggles to define its message
One particular concern is that voters may no longer have a clear idea of what the Centre Party currently stands for.
One party figure told Ilta-Sanomat that the party must decide “which hill it wants to die on.”
According to the source, focusing too narrowly on issues such as peat production or wolf policy could further restrict the party’s appeal.
The decline also reflects a longer-term structural challenge. Many of the rural regions where the Centre Party has traditionally been strongest are losing population, increasing pressure on the party to attract more voters in southern Finland and urban areas.
The party was polling around 13 percent earlier this autumn, while the Left Alliance has been gaining ground and reached a record level of support in Yle’s polling series.
Despite the concerns, figures within the Centre Party still believe it can retain an important role in future negotiations over the formation of a Finnish government.