Finland holds its first presidential election after joining NATO

2024-01-28 20:34:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

The elections for the new president of the country are being held today in Finland. The process takes place at an unprecedented time for the Nordic nation, already a member of NATO and with its eastern border with Russia closed; two things almost unthinkable a few years ago.

Polling stations opened at 9 am and will close at 8 pm local time.

Unlike most European countries, Finland's president has executive power in formulating foreign and security policy, especially with countries outside the European Union, such as the United States, Russia and China.

The president also acts as the supreme commander of the Finnish military, a task that takes on particular importance in the current security environment in Europe.

About 4.5 million voters will choose the new head of state from a group of nine candidates, six men and three women. They will choose a successor to the hugely popular President Sauli Niinistö, whose second six-year term expires in March. He is no longer eligible for re-election.

No candidate is expected to receive more than 50% of the vote in Sunday's first round of voting, which would push the race toward a runoff to be held in February.

Recent polls suggest that former Prime Minister Alexander Stubb, 55, and former Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto, 65, are the main contenders.

Mr Stubb, who represents the conservative National Coalition Party and led the Finnish government in 2014-2015, as well as veteran politician Pekka Haavisto, a former United Nations diplomat who is running for the post for the third time, are expected to win respectively 23% and 27% of the votes.

They are followed by Speaker of the Parliament and former leader of the far-right Finnish Party Jussi Halla-aho with around 18%.

Finland's new head of state will begin a six-year term in March in a markedly different geopolitical and security situation in Europe than Mr Niinistö faced after the 2018 election.

Abandoning a long-standing policy of military non-commitment following Russia's attack on Ukraine, Finland became NATO's 31st member in April, a development that has angered Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose country shares a border of 1340 kilometers with the Nordic nation./ VOA