According to an Yle straw poll, Interior Minister Maria Ohisalo's position in the leadership of the Greens looks relatively strong – despite the party's poor showing in last month's municipal elections.
Half of Green politicians and officials who responded to an Yle survey indicated that Ohisalo should be re-elected without a challenge at the party congress in September.
Thirty percent would prefer that she face a challenger, while 20 percent were unsure.
The names most often mentioned as possible candidates to run against Ohisalo were MEP Ville Niinistö, a former party chair and cabinet minister, as well as Atte Harjanne and Emma Kari, who are both MPs and Helsinki city councillors. Kari is the chair of the Greens Parliamentary Group.
Respondents broadly backed Ohisalo's performance as party chair and government minister, giving her an average approval rating of 8.2 points out of 10.
Achievements on climate and education
However, they surveyed expressed dissatisfaction with the Greens' achievements in the five-party centre-left government. The Greens are the third largest party in the cabinet, which is dominated by Prime Minister Sanna Marin's Social Democrats and Finance Minister Annika Saarikko's Centre Party.
There was dissent in the ranks of the party's parliamentary group during the recent vote on the social and healthcare reform package (known as sote), while last spring's Centre-driven decision to support peat entrepreneurs was difficult to swallow for some of the party faithful.
Criticism of the Greens' behaviour in government were primarily related to the cabinet's cuts in funding for research and the plight of the cultural sector during the coronavirus crisis.
Only about 41 per cent of respondents said that the Greens have managed to achieve their goals in government. Praise for their achievements were primarily related to environmental and climate issues and education.
In the municipal elections, the party gained 10.6 percent support, which was a clear loss for the Greens compared to the previous election.
In late June, Yle sent a questionnaire to 127 members of the party’s parliamentary group, party board and party council. Seventy of them responded to the survey.
The party congress is to be held remotely on 11-12 September, just after Parliament reconvenes after its summer recess.