Majority of Finns want to stay inside euro zone: poll

While many Finns believe euro harms the country' economy, a majority of the respondents want Finland to stay in the euro zone, reported Finnish national broadcaster Yle on Tuesday.

A latest opinion survey commissioned by Yle and conducted by the Finnish market research company Taloustutkimus found 54 percent of respondents wanted Finland to stay in the euro zone, and 31 percent of them would like the country to withdraw from the common currency system.

Meanwhile, 44 percent of the respondents said the Finnish economy would be better without euro. Only 20 percent of them believed that the economy would be worse without euro.

The results seem controversial. Juho Rahkonen, researcher at Taloustutkimus, explained that people who support euro also consider factors other than economic reasons.

"There is also a strong emotional feeling here," Rahkonen was quoted as saying, adding that in many people's mind, the euro zone is like a kind of community giving a sense of security.

Supporters also think about the benefits brought by euro, for example, convenient trading and travels inside Europe.

Although a majority of Finns support staying in the euro zone, the favorability rate has dropped considerably in recent years, when the Nordic country is suffering continuous economic problems.

A similar poll made by Taloustutkimus in 2011 showed 72 percent of Finns were in favor of the euro membership and 19 percent opposed.

According to Citizens' Initiatives in Finland's website, a citizens' initiative to organize a referendum on Finland's membership in the euro zone has collected 52,288 signatures.

The Finnish Parliament is expected to discuss the country's membership in the euro zone next year. In line with the Finnish Constitution amended in 2012, if the number of valid statements goes up to 50,000, the initiative will be submitted to the parliament for consideration. Endit