Meanwhile Sauli Niinistö has collected 80,000 from the Confederation of Finnish Industry and Employers' TT Foundation, the Federation of Finnish Technology Industries and the Foundation for Entrepreneurs.

SDP candidate Lipponen has received 35,000 euros from the Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors JHL, 32,000 from the Service Union United PAM, 30,000 from the Metalworkers' Union, as well as smaller amounts from other unions.

Meanwhile unions have given 45,500 euros to Left Alliance chair Paavo Arhinmäki, who has collected some 60,000 euros in other donations.

National Coalition Party candidate Niinistö's campaign manager Taru Tujunen says that the frontrunner has attracted nearly a million euros, most of it from private individuals. His overall campaign budget is 1.3 million euros.

Following campaign funding scandals in recent years, there is now a ceiling of 10,000 euros per individual or corporate donor. However this does not cover foundations or associations. Thus the EK's TT Foundation and the technology industry group have given Niinistö 30,000 euros each, with the entrepreneurs' foundation ponying up 20,000.

Just before Christmas, Niinistö hosted a 650-euro-a-plate dinner which raised more than 90,000 euros.

Wide array of budgets and practices

Centre Party candidate Paavo Väyrynen's campaign staff estimate his budget at between 250,000 and 500,000 euros. They expect to raise 200,000 through a lottery and up to 300,000 from sales of campaign mugs.

Swedish People's Party candidate Eva Biaudet has a budget of 440,000 euros, three quarters of which comes from various foundations.

Finns Party chair Timo Soini has a war chest of 340,000 euros, most of it coming directly from the party's coffers.

Christian Democratic candidate Sari Essayah has a modest budget of 70,000 euros, of which 20,000 is coming out of her own pocket. She expects donations of less than 10,000.

Green candidate Pekka Haavisto has attracted 185,000 euros in donations toward his campaign budget of a quarter-million. Haavisto has already published online a list of all donors who have given him more than 1,000 euros.

Others, such as Niinistö, do not intend to do so until January 20, when they must by law file financial statements.