Finland elected a new president this Sunday who will take on Russia

first Amendment: 02/11/2024 – 14:40

4 minutes

A total of 4.5 million Finns are called to the polls between 9:00 am and 8:00 pm (07:00 am and 6:00 pm GMT) to elect their next president, with the results of the previous According to two, not so tremendous. Survey.

These include former Prime Minister Alexander Stubb of the National Coalition Party, who won by a slim margin in the first round of elections held on January 28. Between 53 and 54% of the votes, vs 47-46% Former Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto, a centre-left liberal. In just ten days the Conservative candidate’s lead has shrunk significantly.

Whichever candidate wins the presidential election, he will be a pro-European cosmopolitan and a firm supporter of Ukraine, as the person responsible for the country’s foreign and security policy, in this new scenario in which the Nordic countries are part of the organization for the first time. The time of the North Atlantic Treaty (NATO) after decades of non-alignment.

He replaces the retiring Sauli Niinistö in this new era in which Finland has joined the Western defense in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

A movement of forces reaches its final stage

After this Stubb and Haavisto reached the second round Get 27.2% and 25.8% votes in the first round, respectively, defeating seven other candidates, including extreme right representative Jussi Halla-aho, who finished third with 19%.

The results showed that in an atmosphere of tension with Russia due to the war in Ukraine and the entry of the Nordic country, voters were inclined towards the two candidates with the most experience in international and security politics, excellent skills of the Finnish head of state. In NATO.

The conservative candidate, who headed the government and three ministries, returned to Finnish politics after seven years as vice-president of the European Investment Bank (EIB) and then professor at the Institute for European Universities (IUE).

Haavisto, one of the heroes of Finland’s entry into NATO as foreign minister in the previous legislature, is running for president for the third consecutive time. In the last two he had finished second after Niinistö.

Entry into NATO changes everything

The Nordic country faced a choice after joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) last year after decades of non-alignment.

Until now the country had a very close relationship with Russia, which was promoted to some extent by the current president.

Apart from the war in Ukraine, another component that has changed this historical dynamic is the vast 1,340 km long border it shares with Russia, through which the entry of undocumented migrants has recently increased, the majority of whom Are from the Middle East and Africa. Finland decided to end it in December and announced this week that it would be extended for two more months, until April 14.

An additional detail is that the limits of Finland’s role in NATO have come into the spotlight after it signed a defense cooperation agreement with the United States in December, which allows the US military access to 15 facilities and areas off Finland. , where he can do it too. Store military equipment and ammunition.

How is your day going?

1.95 million voters, equivalent to 43% of the census, have already exercised their right to vote. And it is expected that a few minutes after the polling stations close, the first official count data corresponding to early voting will be made public.

Analysts estimate that participation could exceed that recorded in the first round, when 75% of Finns living in a Nordic country cast their vote and only 16.1% living in other countries cast their vote.

The new head of state will take office in March for a six-year term.

with EFE and Reuters