Editing Karelian question (section)

===Polls and popular opinion===
The latest{{when|date=October 2021}} polls show that approximately 26% to 38% of Finns would like to see Karelia return to Finnish control and some 51% to 62% would oppose such a move. In Russia, people associate the word "Karelia" with the [[Republic of Karelia]] instead of [[Finnish Karelia]], which makes conducting polls more difficult. In a 1999 poll by [[MTV3]], 34% of the people of [[Vyborg]] supported returning Karelia to Finland and 57% were opposed. [[Vyborg]] and the rest of the ceded Karelia outside the [[Republic of Karelia]] nowadays contain very few ethnic Finns, and is almost exclusively inhabited by people who moved there during the Soviet era and their descendants.

In a poll conducted by the newspaper ''Karjala'' and the research institute ''MC-Info Oy'' on 13 October 2005, 36% of Finns supported the return of ceded territories, compared to 51% who are opposed. In August 2005, a poll by ''[[Helsingin Sanomat]]'' and Suomen [[Gallup International Association|Gallup]], determined that 30% of Finns supported and 62% opposed the return.<ref name="HS Gallup">[http://www.hs.fi/uutiset/tuoreet/artikkeli/1101980677358 HS-Gallup: Selvä enemmistö ei halua Karjalaa takaisin]</ref> In a poll by Taloustutkimus and Karjalan Liitto conducted in May 2005, support was 26% while 58% were opposed.<ref>[http://www.karjalanliitto.fi/3/taloustutkimus.html  Karjalan Liitto and Taloustutkimus] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20070623124037/http://www.karjalanliitto.fi/3/taloustutkimus.html |date=2007-06-23 }}</ref> A year earlier, a poll by STT showed 38% supporting and 57% opposing. A poll by Taloustutkimus was criticized by [[ProKarelia]] for asking [[leading questions]], such as, "Do you support the return of Karelia, even if it would mean more tense relations or even war with Russia?"<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.prokarelia.net/fi/?x=artikkeli&article_id=696&author=10 |title=Eg. ProKarelia's article on 17 October 2005 |access-date=25 May 2006 |archive-date=3 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803011551/http://prokarelia.net/fi/?x=artikkeli&article_id=696&author=10 |url-status=dead }}</ref> 5% of supporters and of those who declined to respond supported the return even under these circumstances (2.1% of all replies).<ref>[http://www.karjalanliitto.fi/3/taloustutkimus.html  Karjalan Liitto and Taloustutkimus, poll] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20070623124037/http://www.karjalanliitto.fi/3/taloustutkimus.html |date=2007-06-23 }}</ref>

Many of the people who were born in Karelia and were evacuated want Karelia to become part of Finland. According to polls, older people (ages 65 and up) and young people (15-25) support the idea more strongly than the generation of their parents (25–65) who grew up during the [[Cold War]].<ref name="HS Gallup"/> Former President [[Mauno Koivisto]] was against a discussion about the question.<ref>Koivisto halusi vaientaa kokonaan keskustelun Karjalan palauttamisesta. (''Koivisto wanted to silence discussion about returning Karelia'') STT-IA 23 January 1998 {{cite web |url=http://www.verkkouutiset.fi/arkisto/Arkisto_1998/23.tammikuu/UKKKAR.HTM |title=Kekkonen Ja Karjala |access-date=2006-05-25 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/19980224113243/http://www.verkkouutiset.fi/arkisto/Arkisto_1998/23.tammikuu/UKKKAR.HTM |archive-date=1998-02-24 }} (in Finnish)</ref> Support for regaining the ceded areas is also strong among minor [[nationalist]] [[right-wing]] groups.