After counting 97 percent of the votes, the National Coalition Party led by Petteri Orpo beat the right-wing populist Party of Finns and the Social Democrats led by Sanna Marin in the Finnish elections. The final result is still very close, but it is Yes according to its election results, the left won only 19.9 percent, finishing behind the Party of Finns (20.1 percent) and the National Coalition (20.7 percent).
Sanna Marin became the world’s youngest leader when she burst onto the European political scene in 2019. He led a coalition of five parties, in which all parties were led by women. The now 37-year-old politician was not encouraged by the fact that he led Finland to the threshold of NATO membership during the election campaign, as the election was largely about Finland’s national debt.
Many Finns consider Sanna Marin a polarizing figure, but she is one of the most popular leaders in other European countries. Last year, he came under serious criticism when a video of him singing, dancing and drinking alcohol at a party surfaced.
In Finland, according to the proportional representation system, a coalition must win more than 100 seats in the 200-member parliament in order to govern the country.
However, the mandates do not yet indicate that either party would be able to govern alone:
The Social Democrats will have 43 representatives, the Party of Finns 46, and the right-wing National Coalition 48. Apart from them, the Greens can have 23 mandates, and the progressives 13.
It is expected that the coalition negotiations will begin on Monday.
Cover photo: Roni Rekomaa/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Leave a Comment