Jyrki Katainen (NCP), the Finnish prime minister, told the Finnish News Agency (STT) that the government would have to take "unpalatable" fiscal policy decisions next year.

"It is appropriate to promise that we will spare no effort to take decisions that are essential in order to defend Finnish welfare society," Katainen said.

Katainen's government aims to cut spending and raise taxes in order to reduce borrowing.

Jukka Gustafsson (SDP), the Finnish education minister, was quoted as saying by regional daily Aamulehti on Thursday that he would task a working group with looking into differential school funding, adding disadvantaged schools like those in areas with high unemployment rates should receive extra government cash.

"Differences between schools have grown in the 2000s," Gustafsson was quoted as saying.

High winds caused further power cuts in many parts of Finland on Wednesday, with utilities repairing lines severed by Monday's storm.

Utilities said Thursday morning that about 44,000 households remained without power at 7am.

Finnish Railways (VR) restored normal services on the Helsinki-Turku line but a replacement coach service continued to run between Tampere and Turku.

At least 170,000 households across Finland were still without power on Wednesday morning following the storm which battered the Nordic countries on Monday, according to a statement by Finnish utilities.

Utilities told that they expect the situation to ease significantly during the course of Wednesday.

Sauli Niinistö (NCP) is to take a clear lead over whoever faces him in the second round of the Finnish presidential elections, according to the results of an opinion poll published by Finnish Swedish-language daily Hufvudstadsbladet on Wednesday.

According to the poll, around four out of five Finns would vote for Niinistö, regardless of who stands against him in the second round.