The Finns decide this Sunday the future of Sanna Marin with an eye toward joining NATO

by time news

Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin. MAGAZINE PHOTO | Reuters

The polls point to a tie between social democrats, conservatives and far-right

01 abr 2023 . Updated at 10:37 p.m.

Finland is holding elections this Sunday in which the political future of the current prime minister is at stake, Social Democrat Sanna Marin, and before which there is an unprecedented interest at the international level before the next entry of the country into NATO. There is no clear favorite in the polls, which point to a tie between the Social Democrats, the Conservatives and the far right, all of them around 20% of the vote, but with a slight advantage for the moderate right of the now opposition Kokoomus party.

The Finnish conservative leader, Petteri Orpo. MAGAZINE PHOTO | Reuters

The latest poll, collected by Efe from the national television YLE, gives the conservatives the command of Petteri Orpowho was Deputy Prime Minister of Finland, 19.8% of the votes, three tenths more than the True Finns, led by the new face of the extreme right Riikka Purra. The SDP of Sanna Marin, is in third position with 18.7% of the votes, despite improving the results it obtained in the 2019 elections by one point.

The leader of True Finns, Riikka Purra. MAGAZINE PHOTO | Reuters

In recent weeks, the extreme right has managed to overtake the SDP in second place, taking votes from the conservatives. If the forecasts are confirmed, the big loser in these elections will be the center party, The SDP’s main partner in the government coalition, which would achieve 10.7% of the votes and reap the worst result in its history. It would also regress the party of The Greensthird partner of the SDP, which would obtain 9%.


Finland, which shares the largest border with Russia of the community block – about 1,300 kilometers – has undergone a radical change in relation to its historical neutrality as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which has led nearly 80% of the population to support the country’s accession to the Alliance Atlantic.

The current geopolitical situation has broadly shaped the electoral campaign, in which the main candidates have discussed the possibility of delivering military aid to Ukraine.


Marin, who became in 2019 in the youngest head of government in the world At only 34 years old, he still has a high level of popularity among Finns (64% consider that he has done a “very good job”). Marin’s mandate, who took office after the resignation of Antti Rinne for managing the postal service strike, has been defined by the pandemic and the war despite criticism leveled against him for a video in which is seen dancing with friends and influencers.

Just three days before the elections, Turkey’s parliament ratified Helsinki’s membership of NATO on Thursday, which could boost the Social Democrats’ candidacy.




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