Former Prime Minister Stubb wins Finnish presidential election

National Coalition Party (NCP) presidential candidate Alexander Stubbe reacts at an election reception in Helsinki, Finland on February 11, 2024. Former Prime Minister, triathlete and Europhile Alexander Stubb secured his triumphant return to politics on February 11, 2024 after seven elections. He won the Finnish presidency in Sunday’s election after a one-year hiatus. (Photo credit: Emmi Korhonen / Lehtikuva / AFP) / Finland OUT

HELSINKI, Finland — Conservative former Prime Minister Alexander Stubb won Finland’s presidential election on Sunday, assuming a role of increasing importance given the country’s NATO membership and rising tensions with neighboring Russia.

Some 4.3 million voters were choosing between Mr Stubb and former Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto, a Green Party lawmaker who is running as an independent.

“Well then, Alexander. Congratulations on becoming Finland’s 13th president,” Haavisto told Stubbe live on air, conceding after broadcaster Ale predicted Stubbe had won with 51.4 percent.

Read: Finland elects president amid tensions with Russia

When all votes were counted, Mr. Stubb received 51.6 percent of the vote in the final tally.

Stubb, who called the victory “the greatest honor of my life,” will take office on March 1.

The changing geopolitical situation in Europe will be the main challenge for the new head of state, who will guide the country’s foreign policy together with the government and serve as commander-in-chief of the Finnish armed forces, although his powers are more limited than that of the prime minister. It will be.

“It is completely incredible that a country the size of Finland could hold such a fair and honest election in the context of this security policy,” Stubb declared in his victory speech to supporters.

Finland ended its decades-long military non-alignment relationship and joined NATO in April 2023 after relations between Moscow and Helsinki soured following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Russia, which shares a 1,340km border with Finland, immediately warned of “countermeasures”.

tough situation

“The international political situation is very difficult for us at the moment, and I think we really need a president who can work with different political parties and who can negotiate,” Marit Tarkiainen, a 46-year-old doctor, told AFP in Helsinki. Told.

In the first round of voting on January 28, Mr. Stubbe came in first with 27.2% of the votes, while Mr. Hervist came in a close second place with 25.8% of the votes, qualifying him for the second round.

After the Cold War, Helsinki maintained good relations with Moscow.

President Sauli Niinisto, who was first elected in 2012 and will step down, once took pride in his close relationship with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, but has since become one of Putin’s harshest critics. became.

Niinistö contacted him directly and announced his decision to join NATO.

There has been radio silence since then, and Sunday’s winning candidate is unlikely to expect a call from the Kremlin.

In August 2023, Finland observed an influx of migrants entering the country through its eastern border without visas.

Helsinki closed its borders in November in response, claiming Moscow was pressuring migrants to destabilize security, a move supported by both candidates.

“I believe he can do both multilateral cooperation and bilateral relations well, which is what is needed,” said Hanna Ojanen, director of political science at Tampere University. I’m sure they understand the overall picture of security policy.” he told AFP after Mr Stubb’s victory.

Mr. Stubbe and Mr. Haavisto, both former foreign ministers, shared a similar vision of the country’s position toward Russia and called for additional sanctions against Russia and aid for Ukraine.

“Very strong support for Ukraine will definitely continue. Issues involving Russia in some way will start to come up on the agenda, but they will have to be resolved,” Ojanen said.

new type of president

Before attending the victory party in central Helsinki, Stubbe stopped by a Haavisto party.

“You’re one of the nicest people I’ve ever met,” Mr. Stubb, who ran unsuccessfully for president three times, told Mr. Haavist.

In the run-up to the election, Helimäki said, analysts had pointed out that the two candidates were largely in agreement on key policy issues, with the differences being in nuances such as the storage and transportation of nuclear weapons in Finland.

Stubbe said “no part” of NATO’s nuclear deterrent should be excluded, but Haavisto did not want the weapons on mainland Finland.

Theodora Helimäki, a postdoctoral researcher in political science at the University of Helsinki, believes that to Finns, Stubb appears to be “a slightly new kind of president.”

“He’s probably a lot more sociable than the others… probably a little more international in many ways, especially in terms of the way he expresses himself and the way he speaks,” Herimaki told AFP.