After a close second round on February 11, Alexander Stubb will be sworn in as the new president of the republic. Mr. Stubb is a centre-right politician with long-standing pro-European and pro-Western views and began his political career as a member of the European Parliament.
Her opponent in the second round was moderate Green politician Pekka Haavisto, who came second for the third time this year after losing twice to current president Niinistö.
Finnish presidential elections are held every six years to select the country’s head of state. In Finland, the president’s role is largely ceremonial, and he must renounce his party membership after taking office. Sauli Niinistö in particular has cultivated the image of an apolitical “father of the nation” and has come to enjoy immense popularity, receiving over 62% of the votes in the first (and only) round of voting in 2018. Obtained. This makes 2024 the first truly competitive election since 2012, although the results of the 2018 election are not surprising. Niinistö, who served two terms, is no longer eligible to run this year.
The candidates that attracted the most attention in the first round were Olli Rehn, Governor of the Bank of Finland and candidate of the Agricultural Center Party, Jussi Halaaho, Speaker of the Parliament and candidate of the far-right Finnish Party, and Pekka of the Green League. It was Mr. Harvist. Alexander Stubb, politician, former foreign minister, independent candidate, professor, former prime minister and candidate for the centre-right National Union Party.
Olli Rehn was a relatively neutral and non-aggressive candidate, perhaps similar to Sauli Niinisto, with few people saying anything bad about him, but perhaps for the same reasons he could arouse or energize voter enthusiasm. I couldn’t. He received 15% of the vote in the first round.
Jussi Halaaho was the most divisive candidate in this election, popular on the far right but marred by a history of racist comments and hate speech controversy, making him an intolerable candidate for the left. , which prompted a tactical vote against him. Even if he had advanced to the second round, he likely would have lost due to the number of people willing to vote for virtually anyone to prevent him from becoming president. . His approval rating in the first round was around 19%.
The wild card in the election is Mika Aaltola, who has no previous political experience but is the director of the Finnish Institute of Foreign Relations and has risen to prominence since the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, focusing on foreign policy and the role of the state. Some saw him as a good fit. president. Despite the initial media hype surrounding him, skepticism ultimately prevailed, and he received only 1.46% of the vote.
Herbist and Stubb made it to the second round with about 26% and 27%, respectively. Both men are seen as relatively similar candidates with similar pro-European and international outlooks. Compared to Stubb’s more hawkish foreign policy stance, Haavisto may be seen as a milder, more dovish option, but these are ultimately relatively small steps in an approach toward similar goals. It’s just a difference. This has made both candidates widely acceptable to most Finns, although a significant minority feel that neither candidate represents them. There was a feeling on both sides that it wouldn’t make much difference who won.
Hervisto’s open homosexuality attracted attention and probably contributed to his elimination in the second round. Many of those who voted for Mr. Stubb said that Mr. Haavisto’s sexuality was part of the consideration, evidence of deep-rooted homophobia in Finnish society, and that many supporters of both candidates were disappointed and connected. He said that it was something that should not be considered.
During the vote counting on election night, both candidates emphasized that the other candidate was competent and that Finland would have a good president either way. In the end, Alexander Stubb narrowly won the election with 51.62% of the vote, less than 100,000 votes behind Harvist. Mr. Stubb went on to congratulate his opponent on a strong campaign and thank him for being an honorable opponent, making the entire election a refreshingly civil affair.