Sanna Marin: Finnish Prime Minister concedes the election

Cnn
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Finland Prime Minister Sanna Marin conceded the defeat on Sunday in the legislative elections of the Nordic country, while the right -wing national coalition of the opposition (PCN) won the victory in a closely combated competition.

The Pro-Business NCP was to win 48 of the 200 seats in Parliament, closely in front of the nationalist Finnish party with 46 seats and sailor’s social democrats out of 43 seats, the electoral data of the Ministry of Justice showed with all counted ballots.

“We have obtained the greatest mandate,” said NCP chief Petteri ORPO, in a speech to the followers, promising to “repair Finland” and his economy.

He will have the first chance to form a coalition to obtain the majority in Parliament as a sailor as a Prime Minister who was to end.

“We have obtained support, we have won more seats (in Parliament). It is an excellent success, even if we have not finished first today,” the Prime Minister told the party members.

Marin, 37, the youngest Prime Minister in the world when she took office in 2019, is considered by fans around the world as a millennial model for new progressive leaders, but at home, she was criticized for her party and the public spending of her government.

Although it remains very popular among many Finns, especially moderate young people, it has annoyed certain conservatives with sumptuous expenses in pensions and education which they consider as not frugal enough.

The NCP has conducted in polls for almost two years, although its advance has melted in recent months. He promised to limit spending and stop the rise of public debt, which reached just over 70% of GDP since Marin took office in 2019.

ORPO accused a sailor of eroding the economic resilience of Finland at a time when the energy crisis in Europe, motivated by the war of Russia in Ukraine, hit the country and the cost of living harshly increased.

ORPO said that he would negotiate with all the groups to obtain a majority in Parliament, while Marin said that his social democrats could govern with the PCN but will not go to the government with the Finnish party.

Marin qualified the Finns party as “openly racist” during a debate in January – an accusation that the nationalist group rejected.

The main objective of the Finns party is to reduce what leader Rikka Purra has called “harmful” immigration from developing countries outside the European Union. He also calls austerity policies to limit deficit expenditure, a position he shares with the PCN.