Three parties are in a neck-and-neck race to win a majority in Finland’s 200-seat parliament and form a new government.
Voters in Finland cast their ballots to elect members of a new parliament in what polls say will be an uphill battle for Prime Minister Sanna Marin’s Social Democrats Party (SDP) to retain office.
More than 2,400 candidates from 22 parties will compete for 200 seats in the Scandinavian country’s parliament, Eduskunta, on Sunday. The polling stations opened at 09:00 (06:00 GMT).
The polls close at 8pm (5pm GMT). The first results based on early voting are expected to be released immediately after the polls close and a preliminary final result should be available around midnight on Monday.
Marin remains popular at home, but her party’s views on the Finnish economy, which emerged as the main campaign theme, have been challenged by two main opponents: the centre-right National Coalition Party led by Petteri Orpo and the right-wing populist The Finns Party, which is directed by Riikka Purra.
Recent polls showed that each of the three parties could get about 20 percent of the vote. If that happens, no party would be able to form a government alone; whoever wins the most votes is expected to begin talks on forming a governing coalition in the coming days.
Marin, at 37, one of Europe’s youngest leaders, took over the leadership of the SDP in 2019 and has since led the country through the COVID-19 pandemic, receiving praise, and leading the country to the NATO led membership.
Her unwavering support for Ukraine over the past year has increased her international visibility. She has become known for her straightforward politics and modern feminist ideals. Videos of her enjoying her private life have also made headlines worldwide, drawing sympathy from those who see her as a role model for a new generation of young politicians, and vocal criticism from some more conservative members of the opposition.
“We hope, of course, that the Social Democrats win these elections… It is so important because we want to remain an open society. We also want to cooperate internationally. We want to build a better, green, sustainable future where people have equal opportunities in life,” Marin told the Associated Press during his campaign in central Helsinki on Saturday.
Voters are concerned about how the government plans to handle inflation and tackle climate change, experts said, as inflation rose to 8.8 percent in February, driven by higher mortgage rates and more expensive heating bills.
As in the rest of Europe, the cost of living crisis is a cause for concern. In addition, Finland’s public debt was about 144 billion euros ($157 billion) at the end of January. Debts began to mount during the pandemic and after Russia invaded Ukraine. It increased as the government borrowed more money to bolster its defense systems.
“The most important thing in the next government is to put our economy in order, to stimulate economic growth, to balance the public economy. And the second very important issue is the NATO-Finland buildup,” Orpo told the AP at a campaign event in Espoo, just outside the capital, on Saturday.
Purra stressed that the Finns would focus on shaping Finland’s migration, climate, crime and energy policies if the populist party becomes a partner in the next government.
“And we also want to sharpen our attitude towards the European Union,” Purra said at a campaign event in Kirkkonummi municipality, her home district some 45 km (28 miles) west of Helsinki.
Finland, which is expected to join NATO in the coming weeks, is a member of the European Union with a population of 5.5 million.