Finnish presidential candidate Pekka Haavisto questions why her sexuality is in the spotlight so much as opinion polls narrow her gap with rival Alexander Stubb in the final day of campaigning before Sunday’s election. is holding.
The 65-year-old former foreign minister, who would become Finland’s first Green Party president and its first gay president if he wins, said he was surprised that his sexuality became a public concern in the second and final vote.
The Nordic country, which borders Russia, has made international security and defense a top priority since joining NATO last year. The President of Finland is the head of state, commander-in-chief of the military, and responsible for foreign policy in cooperation with the government.
When Haavisto first ran for president in 2012, voters were eager to discuss sexual identity with Haavisto, but Haavisto initially had no idea it would be a central theme of his campaign. I hadn’t thought about it. But since he came second out of nine candidates in the first round and moved on to the final vote against Mr Stubb, journalists, particularly those from state broadcaster Yell, have been “sparking” debate over the issue. he said.
He spoke from his home in Helsinki, where he lives with his partner Antonio Flores. “Not so much in election debates, but actually by some journalists on national broadcaster Yell, they’re provoking debate in a surprisingly powerful way” in the second round of voting.
“I think a lot of commentators are also a little surprised that I’m a third-time presidential candidate. It wasn’t talked about in the first round, so why is it being talked about in the second round? ?”
“For me, it’s surprising that this issue is on the second ballot of this election, but also as I travel around the country meeting with voters to discuss it,” said Harvist, who is running as an independent. “I’m surprised this issue hasn’t been brought to my attention directly,” he added.I think maybe he was discussed in 2012, but even then it wasn’t [much of an] So the second round seems like a bit of an artificial topic. ”
The fact that some journalists are “very vocal on this subject raises questions,” he said.
His comments came after a University of Helsinki poll found that a third of voters would not vote for Haavisto because he is gay.
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According to the latest Eire poll, Mr Haavisto is catching up with Mr Stubb, a former prime minister and member of the ruling center-right National Coalition party, but remains behind by 46 to 54 per cent.
“In the second round, candidates are trying to win votes from these groups,” said Jouko Jokinen, editor-in-chief of Ale. [or] Those who did not vote in the first round. We asked subject matter experts whether Haavisto’s sexual orientation (which is nothing new to Finns) could still be a divisive issue for some voters.
“Questions important to our journalism are considered taboo and should not have been asked at all. In a recent poll, a third of voters said Mr. Hervist’s partner was the reason they wouldn’t vote for him. This is a fair question because there are still Finns who are biased. It is a phenomenon that exists and we need to be bold enough to ask. there is.”
In the first round of voting last month, both parties defeated right-wing populist candidate Jussi Halaaho of the far-right Finland Party, advancing to a run-off. Mr Stubb, 55, received 27.2% of the vote, closely followed by Mr Hervist with 25.8%.
Another topic that has been at the center of recent discussions is nuclear weapons, and Mr. Stubbe and Mr. Haavisto disagree on what Finland’s approach to nuclear weapons should be. Although Mr. Haavisto opposes the storage of nuclear weapons and it is against the law to bring them into the country, Mr. Stubbe argued that the law needs to be changed.
Both candidates enjoy wide support, but turnout will be particularly important for Mr. Stubb because his support is strong among pensioners and Mr. Hervist’s supporters are generally young.
“It’s going to be a tough battle,” Harvist said.
Both candidates will continue campaigning until voting begins on Sunday. Haavisto, who was scheduled to stay in eastern and central Finland, said he had confirmed strong support from female voters, who have been particularly active in early voting, and held a large concert on Monday to encourage young people to vote. .
He said his top priority if he wins would be to work with other heads of state on climate change, with the aim of forming an informal coalition to pressure the United Nations and other bodies to take more urgent action. He said they would discuss the crisis. “While introducing myself to my colleagues, I would like to take this opportunity to highlight some of the issues of great importance for Finland, one of which is the prevention of climate change.”