Voters on Sunday at a polling station in Helsinki.RONI REKOMAA (AFP)
The nearly two million early votes left the Conservatives of the National Coalition with a very narrow lead over the Social Democrats as they entered consideration for Finland’s general election this Sunday. The National Coalition has 20.8% of the vote, while the Social Democrats of the SDP, led by Prime Minister Sanna Marin, are close to first with 20.7%. The populist Finnish Party starts in third place with 18.6%. The right to vote early in the Nordic countries traditionally favors left-wing parties, especially the social democrats, and harms the party of the Finns, the far-right formation which, according to the latest polls, has a clear chance of winning the party with the most votes in this crucial election.
Social Democrat Marin, 37, wants to review her position as prime minister. The leader, who has enjoyed unprecedented popularity in the Scandinavian country in recent decades, is in power just over three years after her predecessor, Antti Rinne, stepped down to avoid a censure motion. Marin has led a five-party coalition for the past 40 months. His chances of staying in office were slimmed a few weeks ago when the Centre, which has its strongholds in rural areas, said it would not be part of a new executive made up of the same five formations (Social Democrats, Centro , Liga Verde ), Alianza de Left and Finnish-Swedish People’s Party). The conservative National Coalition and the far-right Party of Finns could add their seats to oust Marin, though they would need the support of at least one other faction.
crucial moment
The very close elections come at a crucial time for Finland. The country of 5.5 million is poised to complete the historic turn that began nearly a year ago by relinquishing its neutrality and applying for membership in NATO, a process triggered by recent approval by the parliaments of Hungary and the United States in the last leg in Turkey, which will be completed in the coming weeks.
More than 40% of voters cast ballots early in the last days of March, a record number in a country that introduced the option in 1970 to boost turnout. In the 2019 parliamentary election – which the SDP narrowly won – early votes (36.5%) surpassed those on election day for the first time, benefiting social democrats in particular. Polling stations closed at 8 p.m. local time (7 p.m. in mainland Spain) on a cold and sunny Sunday that passed without incident. The 200 deputies who will form the next Eduskunta (unicameral parliament) will emerge from the elections.
The latest poll, published by public broadcaster Yle on Thursday, showed a narrow lead for the National Coalition at 19.8%, for the Party of Finland at 19.5%. The Marin SDP would come in third with 18.7%. The prime minister’s job traditionally goes to the leader of the winning party, so the prime minister’s job is crucial, even if the margins are slim.
The SDP was left with few options on election day to lead the next Finnish government thanks to Marin’s popularity, which far exceeds the party’s. However, the president, who became the world’s youngest head of government at the time in 2019, was met with deep rejection in parts of Finnish society. While most citizens see her as a determined leader who successfully managed the Covid-19 pandemic and the process of integration into the Atlantic Alliance after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, others see her as a politician with little experience and the main responsible for the increase is the Finnish government debt in recent years.
Sanna Marin, this Sunday, when the results of the early vote were announced, at the SDP headquarters in Helsinki. Emmi Korhonen (AP)
The National Coalition, which has led all polls for more than two years, campaigned during the election campaign to defend the need for sweeping fiscal adjustments at a time when the cost of living is skyrocketing and the Finnish economy is heading for a mild recession this year . Conservative leader Petteri Orpo accused Marin of neglecting the national debt and failing to take initiatives to stimulate economic growth. For her part, the Social Democrat stated during the election campaign that Orpo wanted to “take from the poor in order to give more to the rich”.
The latter part of the election campaign was not a positive one for the National Coalition as the huge gap that separated it from the far right a year ago quickly narrowed. The Finns Party – which was part of a ruling coalition for two years before splitting in 2017 and imposing a more radical line – has won at least 17.5% of the vote in every general election since 2011, but has never made it. . In recent months, the Eurosceptic and anti-immigrant formation, whose list leader is a woman for the first time, Rikka Purra, has escalated at breakneck speed, running a successful social media campaign and benefiting from rising energy and living costs. related to the war in Ukraine.
Marin has categorically ruled out a far-right government, which he describes as “racist”. However, analysts are not ruling out the possibility that the Social Democrats will add their seats to the Conservatives, especially if the SDP wins. Negotiations on future government formation are likely to be tedious and take weeks.
Source: La Neta Neta
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
