PM Sanna Marin is engaged in a three-way sprint
Finns are voting in an election that is seen as a close contest between the center-left of Prime Minister Sanna Marin and right-wing populists, conservatives, and them.
Even though Finland has the longest boundary with Russia and is just a few days away from entering NATO, the conflict in the Ukraine has had little effect on the country’s political landscape.
Instead, the economics has been the key issue in the race.And Finns are making a significant decision regarding the destiny of their nation.
The results of approximately 1.7 million advance ballots will be announced at 20:00 (17:00 GMT), when polls conclude. Polls began at 09:00 (06:00 GMT).
Right-wing opposition to Sanna Marin’s Social Democrats is the primary threat.Petteri Orpo’s conservative National Coalition Party is optimistic after four years of opposition.
“A lot of people who disagree with social democratic policies understand that she had to deal with the Covid and Ukraine crises and handled both.”
The public debt of Finland and how the nation’s cherished welfare state can be funded in the future have been the main campaign issues.
Even though Sanna Marin claims the government had to spend heavily in reaction to Covid and neighboring Russia’s incursion of Ukraine, the right has attacked her for raising the public debt.
According to Matti Koivisto, political reporter for Finland’s public network YLE, worrying about the state finances is a characteristic unique to the Finns. However, the country is dealing with a structural issue due to an aging population and a lack of workers to support it.
The southern area of Uusimaa, where 30% of the population resides, is where the labor shortage is most severe, and it is particularly problematic in three of the country’s largest towns, Helsinki, Espoo, and Vantaa.
According to all other groups, bringing in foreign workers is the only way to maintain Finland’s welfare state, Mr. Koivisto told the BBC. However, the Finns argue that, if necessary, we should simply reduce expenditure.
populist group Since new leader Riikka Purra, 45, assumed office in 2021, the Finns have made an effort to stray from the extreme right. She pledges “no politics here” in her Instagram account, which is full of wholesome pictures of wholesome food and shots of the countryside.
Beyond the plates of quinoa, kiwi, and strawberries, Ms. Purra stands out from the competition thanks to her party’s immigration policies.
The Finns have long had the geopolitical objective of quitting the European Union, but according to Mr. Koivisto, because of the conflict in Ukraine, they haven’t made a big deal of it during the current campaign. He claims that it is still a component of their plan, though.
According to Vesa Vares, the middle class in the larger towns as well as the rural areas provide strong support for the Finns.
“They frequently amass protest ballots. It is the same trend that has been observed elsewhere in Europe, such as in Sweden.
Whichever party wins on Sunday night will probably have the first chance to establish an administration.
If it is The Finns, they will seek to cooperate with Petteri Orpo’s National Coalition Party right away. (NCP). Although Mr. Orpo hasn’t ruled out working with the populists, it’s not clear if The Finns could win enough votes to create a majority in the 200-seat parliament with more than 100 members.
The 53-year-old Republican boss is focused on his own success. According to Prof. Vares, his party is offering lower taxes and less government expenditure, and this time it would be able to pick which party to cooperate with. He continues by saying that Mr. Orpo has taken care to avoid attacking Ms. Marin in the same manner that she has.
Before Sunday’s election, almost 40% of voters submitted votes, and by the end of the day, it should be obvious which party has won. But forming an administration will take much longer.