After a detailed presidential race, former Finnish Prime Minister, Alexander Stubb, received Sunday’s election runoff in opposition to former Foreign Minister, Pekka Haavisto.
With all votes counted, centre-right candidate Alexander Stubb of the National Coalition Party had 51.6% of the votes, whilst impartial candidate Pekka Haavisto from the fairway left were given 48.4%.
The 55-year-old, who was once high minister from 2014 to 2015 will grow to be the thirteenth president of Finland because the Nordic nation’s independence from the Russian empire in 1917.
On Sunday night time, Haavisto conceded defeat after a projection by way of the Finnish public broadcaster YLE confirmed a win for Stubb. He congratulated this centre-right opponent at Helsinki City Hall, the place the applicants and the media have been gazing the effects are available in.
An even and blank race
The months-long election marketing campaign was once well mannered and non-confrontational in step with consensus-driven Finnish politics without a below-the-belt assaults from any applicants – one thing that Stubb famous in his speech to Haavisto.
“This has been a fair, great race,” Stubb advised Haavisto after the transparent consequence. “I’m proud that I have been able to run with you in these elections. Thanks for a good race.”
Stubb and Haavisto have been the primary contenders within the election the place over 4 million eligible citizens picked a successor to vastly common President Sauli Niinistö, whose 2d six-year time period expires in March. He wasn’t eligible for reelection.
Sunday’s runoff comes after not one of the unique 9 applicants were given greater than part of the votes within the first balloting spherical at the twenty eighth of January. At that point, Stubb emerged on the most sensible with 27.3% of the ballots, with Haavisto as runner-up with 25.8%.
Several polls indicated Stubb, who has additionally served as Finland’s international, finance and European affairs minister, was once the favorite to win the presidency.
Initial voter turnout was once 70.7%, markedly less than right through the primary balloting spherical when it was once 75%.
Foreign and safety coverage on the most sensible of the schedule
Unlike in maximum European international locations, the president of Finland holds government energy in formulating international and safety coverage at the side of the federal government, particularly regarding international locations out of doors the European Union such because the United States, Russia and China.
Stubb and Haavisto in large part agreed on Finland’s international coverage and safety priorities right through the election marketing campaign. These come with keeping up a difficult line towards Moscow and Russia’s present management, strengthening safety ties with Washington, and the want to lend a hand Ukraine each militarily and at a civilian stage. Finland stocks a 1,340-kilometer border with Russia.
The head of state additionally instructions the army — a vital element seeing Europe’s present safety setting and the modified geopolitical scenario of Finland, which joined NATO in April 2023 within the aftermath of Russia’s assault on Ukraine a yr previous.
The Finnish president is predicted to stay above the fray of day by day politics and in large part to stick out of home political disputes.
‘A brand new, sturdy asset’
Most European leaders have congratulated Stubb on his election victory, together with European Commission leader Ursula von der Leyen who wrote on X, previously Twitter, that together with his “leadership, experience and European commitment, our Union has a new, strong asset.”
EU Council President Charles Michel additionally underlined Stubb’s “experience and leadership” as “an asset in strengthening our common our common foreign and security policy in these troubled times.”
Ulf Kristersson, the Prime Minister of neighbouring Sweden, introduced his “warm congratulations”, including: “I look forward to our cooperation and to meeting in Sweden soon.”
