image source, PA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
Alexander Stubbe (center) will officially take up his post on March 1st.
Finland’s conservative former Prime Minister Alexander Stubb won Sunday’s presidential election, final results showed.
He received 51.6% of the vote, compared with 48.4% for his Green Party rival, former foreign minister Pekka Haavisto. Haavisto has already admitted defeat.
This is the first election since Finland joined the NATO military alliance.
Mr Stubb, 55, has taken a hard line against Russia, a Nordic country with which he shares a long land border.
He said joining NATO was a “done deal” for his country shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Finland officially became the 31st member of the Washington-led alliance in April last year.
Stubbe, a member of the Finnish National Union party, called the election victory “the greatest honor of my life” at a press conference late Sunday.
He also emphasized, “It is rather self-evident that as long as Russia is waging a war of aggression against Ukraine, any kind of political dialogue with President Putin will be difficult.”
“Therefore, it is unlikely that there will be any kind of communication with President Putin or Russia’s political leaders in the near future. We all want to find a path to peace, but that path does not lie on the battlefield. It seems to me that it can only happen in a moment. “
Harvist, who ran as an independent candidate, admitted defeat.
“Well, Alexander. Congratulations, Finland’s 13th president,” the 65-year-old said.
“If you were to ask me today if I would run again, my answer would probably be ‘no.’ Not for a while, and probably never,” he said, having previously run for president twice. added Harvist, who lost the election.
Instead, he said he would now focus on his work as a lawmaker.
Mr. Stubb will officially take up his post on March 1, succeeding Mr. Sauli Niinistö.
Finland’s head of state is directly responsible for foreign and security policy and is also the supreme commander of the country’s armed forces.