Finland vote this sunday presidential election marked by the change of course introduced by the last Government after entering the NATO in April of last year, with a candidate from officialdoma independent environmentalist and a far-right as favorites.
The current head of state, Sauli Niinistocannot participate in the contest because has already exceeded the term limit.
In the context of the war in ukrainethe new head of state, who also serves as commander in chief of the Finnish Defense Forcesyou will face a anomalous context for the Nordic country.
With the beginning of the Russian invasion, Finland began the path towards joining NATO, thus abandoning a historical neutrality at the international level that had led the nation to opt neither for Russia nor for the Western bloc.
Although Finland received the approval of the vast majority of NATO members from almost the first moment, Turkey and Hungary put obstacles to its entry into the bloc, until Helsinki obtained its membership in April and became partner number 31 of the military alliance.
Among the main candidates for the Presidency, Alexander Stubb stands out, from the governing National Coalition Party and known for his pro-European positions.
Stubb briefly served as Prime Minister between June 2014 and May 2015 and then held the Ministry of Finance for just over a year.
Previously, he was a member of the European Parliament (2004-2009) and then led Finnish diplomacy.
Polls place him as one of the main favorites to succeed Niinisto, although he did not come out very well in the last debates and his popularity has suffered, reported the Europa Press news agency.
Along with former Prime Minister Stubb, Pekka Haavisto is also emerging as a favorite, who, although he is a member of the Greens, is running as an independent candidate.
Haavisto began his parliamentary career in 1987, but in 1995 he stepped away from national politics until his return in 2007.
The former United Nations diplomat also ran for president in 2012 and 2018, coming in second place after Niinisto on both occasions.
If he wins Sunday’s election, he would become the first openly gay Finnish president.
Haavisto stands out for having held the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2019 to 2023, a period in which he faced a motion of confidence due to the controversial repatriation of Finnish relatives of Islamic State fighters from the Al Hol refugee camp, in Syria.
Although Stubb and Haavisto were initially seen as the two main candidates to succeed Niinisto, the ultranationalist leader Jussi Halla-aho has been able to take advantage of the drop in popularity of his rivals to now position himself as a more than feasible alternative.
Considered one of the main figures of the Finnish Party, he has held the Presidency of Parliament since last June.
Halla-aho is a fervent defender of positions against the European Union and immigration.
In principle, according to the polls, Niinisto’s successor should come from this shortlist of candidates, who stand out among the nine candidates running for the elections.
The voting centers will open tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. (between 4 a.m. and 3 p.m. in Argentina), although it is estimated that voting by mail could surpass in-person voting, as happened in the 2018 elections, when more than 50% of the population chose this option.
Although early results could be known shortly after the polls close, the official result will not be known until Tuesday.
If any of the candidates manages to gather more than half of the votes, they will be able to succeed Niinisto as of February 1.
If, on the other hand, no candidate achieves an absolute majority, a second round will be held on February 11, and the inauguration will be held in early May.
Source: Ambito
