Finns head to the polls today to elect a new president, whose importance has grown as tensions with Russia have escalated since the invasion of Ukraine. Relations between Russia and Finland deteriorated following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and Finland joined NATO in April 2023.
Voting begins today at 9am (7am GMT) and ends at 8pm.
What are the powers of the President?
The president leads foreign and security policy and represents the country at NATO meetings. The President also serves as the Supreme Commander of the Finnish Defense Forces and decides on significant changes in military preparedness. The president appoints and dismisses cabinet members, some senior civil servants, and Supreme Court justices. At the request of the Prime Minister, the President may order early parliamentary elections in justified cases.
Who are the presidential candidates?
Conservative former Prime Minister Alexander Stubbe and former Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto of the Green Party, who is running as an independent. Just behind the front-runner is Jussi Halaaho of the far-right Finland Party, who experts believe could also advance to the second round. Olli Rehn, the Governor of the Bank of Finland and a member of the ECB Executive Board who is on leave, is also running as a candidate.
How many votes does a candidate need to win?
To win the presidency in the first round, a candidate must receive at least 50 percent of the votes cast. If no candidate receives 50% or more of today’s vote, a second round run-off election will be held between the top two candidates on February 11th. Since the switch from an electoral system to a direct popular vote in 1994, a president cannot be elected for more than two consecutive terms. According to reports, presidential candidates will be nominated by registered political parties or constituency coalitions established by 20,000 voters. Reuters.
Russia, immigration, etc.
Back in August 2023, Finland saw an influx of migrants entering the country through its eastern border without visas. Helsinki claimed that Moscow was pushing for hybrid attacks against migrants in an attempt to destabilize, leading Finland to close its eastern border in November.
“We are now in a situation where Russia, especially Vladimir Putin, is using humans as weapons,” Stubb said in the final televised debate Thursday night. “This is an immigration issue and a callous and cynical measure. In that case, we must prioritize the safety of Finland,” he added.
Main rival Haavisto stressed that Finland needed to “send a clear message to Russia that this cannot continue”. After the Cold War, Helsinki maintained good relations with Moscow.
The current president, Sauli Niinisto, served two terms. He once took pride in his close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but has since become one of the president’s harshest critics. Against this backdrop, all presidential candidates are defending both Finland’s independence and its new role as a member of NATO, said Hanna Wass, deputy dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Helsinki.
“They all seem to have strong ideas that emphasize self-sufficiency. In the future Finland should be independently responsible for its defense and actively contribute to the building of a shared European defense and Nordic cooperation. ” Wass said. AFP.
Tuomas Forsberg, a professor of international policy at Tampere University, believes that because the candidates’ positions are similar, the character of the candidates will be questioned more in elections.
“This will select individuals by looking at their trustworthiness and trustworthiness and their perceived qualities as foreign policy leaders,” Forsberg said. AFP.
Expectations for voting
According to a public opinion poll released by public broadcaster Yell, in the first round, Stubb came in first with 27% of the votes, followed by Hervist in second place with 23% and Haraho with 18%. Stubbe served as Prime Minister of Finland from 2014 to 2015, and Pekka Haavisto held several cabinet positions. “Both men have extensive experience in both domestic and international politics, which voters seem to value most,” Wass said. AFP. Forsberg pointed out that while Haavist and Stubbe share similar political views, they represent different backgrounds. “Their backgrounds and values…are seen as completely different, because Alex is more of a representative of the right wing and Haavist is a representative of the left wing,” he said. “Even if Harvist tries to emphasize that he has no red dots and has chosen the middle path as a green man,” Forsberg added. Forsberg said a second round of voting between the two candidates, which will take place on February 11 unless a candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, could prove decisive in the race.
When will the results be announced?
Advance voting results will be confirmed immediately after voting closes on Sunday. Full results are expected as vote counting continues. The results of the first round will be officially announced on January 30th.
(Information provided by Reuters, AFP)
Unlock a world of benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time inventory tracking, breaking news and personalized newsfeeds, it’s all here, just a click away. Log in here!