Finland begins voting in knife-edge election
3 Min Read
The Finnish Prime Minister continues to hold a strong fight, while 64% say she is "fair" or "good."
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Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin addresses supporters during a campaign rally in Helsinki, Finland, Saturday, April 1, 2023. (AP)
Finland's election is on a knife edge, and polls indicate that the three major parties are running neck and neck. Prime Minister Sanna Marin may have a tough fight on her hands to hold onto her position.
With a margin of error of two percentage points, a final poll for public broadcaster Yle gave the conservative National Coalition party (NCP) a 19.8% vote, the far-right nationalist Finns party a 19.5% vote, and Marin's Social Democrats (SDP) an 18.7% vote.
When Marin, 37, took over the SDP and the Finnish premiership in 2019, she broke the record for the world's youngest prime minister. Marin has successfully guided Finland through the COVID-19 pandemic and to the verge of joining NATO.
Fans have hailed her as a rising star of the center-left and a role model for a new generation of young female leaders for her determination to enjoy a social life, which has also made headlines. Critics argue her behavior has at times been inappropriate for her office.
Last year, after pictures and a video of her drinking and dancing with friends surfaced, she was forced to apologize and submit to a drug test. However, she also defended her right to party.
According to a poll conducted in December for the Helsingin Sanomat newspaper, 64% of respondents thought Marin had done a "very" or "fairly" good job as prime minister. Marin continues to be more popular than both her party and rival political leaders.
The opposition leaders' charges of excessive government borrowing and inflated public spending, along with their promises to impose tough cuts, particularly on welfare budgets, have proven effective, though a recession is predicted and inflation is surging.
The NCP’s Petteri Orpo has pledged to reduce spending on housing and unemployment benefits, while Riikka Purra of the Finns—who was a coalition partner from 2015 to 2017—says their top priority is to reduce non-EU immigration.
The 200-seat parliament could elect as many as 10 parties. Voting begins on Sunday at 9 am local time, with early results from the 31% of voters who pre-voted due at 8 p.m. By midnight, it should be clear what will happen.
