The final vote will take place on February 11. One of the two will succeed current President Sauli Niinisto.
Former Conservative Prime Minister Alexander Stubb and the former foreign minister and environmental leader Pekka Haavisto will face each other in the second round of the presidential elections on February 11 after the most voted candidates in next Sunday’s elections.
Specifically, Stubb, leader of the National Coalition Party, has received 27.1% of the votes, while Haavisto, an independent candidate, has received 25.8% of the votes, according to official data from the Finnish Ministry of Justice. votes have been counted.
Behind them are the ultranationalist Jussi Halla-aho, who won 19% of the vote, and the independent Olli Rehn (15.4%). No other candidate received more than 5% of the vote.
It should be noted that early voting registered a record participation rate of 44.5%. The winner of the election will take over from President Sauli Niinisto on March 1, who is not running for office because he has already exhausted the number of constitutional mandates. The President of Finland, who is responsible for directing foreign and security policy, also serves as Commander-in-Chief of the Finnish Armed Forces. In the context of the war in Eastern Europe, the new head of state will have to deal with an abnormal situation for the Nordic country.
With the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Finland began the path to joining the Atlantic Alliance, abandoning its historic neutrality at the international level. In April it became NATO’s 31st member.
Source: EITB
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
