Finnish voters are heading to the polls on Sunday to begin the process of electing a new head of state.
Nine candidates are running to replace incumbent President Sauli Niinistö, 75, who must step down after two six-year terms.
A runoff between the top two candidates is likely to take place within two weeks, as no candidate is expected to win an outright majority.
Approximately 4.5 million citizens are eligible to vote.
Who are the candidates?
Former Prime Minister Alexander Stubb of the centre-right National Coalition has emerged as the frontrunner, with recent opinion polls showing him with 22-27% support in the first round of the election.
Former Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto, who is a member of the Green Party and is running as an independent candidate, also received high support with an approval rating of 20-23%.
Jussi Halaaho of the far-right Finland Party is in third place in the poll.
Other candidates include European Union Commissioner Jutta Ulpilainen from the Social Democratic Party and Olli Rehn, Governor of the Bank of Finland.
Why is the role of the President of Finland important?
Although the president’s powers are limited, the head of state works with the government to help direct foreign and security policy. The president also serves as Supreme Commander of the Finnish Armed Forces and represents the country at NATO meetings.
Sunday’s election comes at a critical time for Finland. Relations between the Nordic country and its neighbor have deteriorated since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
In response, Finland will join NATO in April 2023, ending decades of military disharmony and eliminating the threat of “countermeasures” from Russia, with which it shares a 1,340-kilometer (830-mile) border. invited.
All nine candidates have pledged to take a tough stance on Russia if elected.
Polling stations will close at 8pm local time (18:00 GMT) on Sunday. Preliminary results are expected to be announced later in the evening.
nm/sms (AFP, Reuters, DPA)