Finland Times

 

File Photo – Lehtikuva.

Majority of Finns want the defence budget to be increased during the next parliamentary term, found a survey commissioned by the Finnish language daily Helsingin Sanomat.

 

Twenty-seven per cent of the respondents are absolutely certain that the defence budget should be raised, while almost one-third of them agree with the idea of a defence budget increase to some extent.

 

Furthermore, nearly one in three of the respondents would want the possibility of having a referendum on the subject of applying for NATO membership.

 

In addition, the majority of Finns want the government to make a decision in principle regarding the purchase of fighter jets to replace the Hornets. A quarter of the respondents totally agree that the government needs to make a decision on the purchase, while a third of them agree to some measure.

 

TNS Gallup interviewed more than a thousand Finns during the course of the survey. The margin of error is +/-3.