Finns Head To Polls To Elect New President

People in Finland are heading to the polls to elect a new President to lead the country in its new role within NATO after it broke with decades of non-alignment to join the Western defence alliance in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

All nine candidates are promising a tough stance towards Russia if elected President, a role that entails taking the lead on foreign and security policy in close cooperation with the government, representing the country at NATO meetings, and also acting as Commander-In-Chief of the Finnish Defence Forces.

The centre-right National Coalition’s Alexander Stubb has emerged as the frontrunner, with recent polls giving him 22-27 percent support in a first round, just ahead of liberal Green Party member Pekka Haavisto, who polled at 20-23 percent.

The nationalist Finns Party’s Jussi Halla-aho is not far behind Haavisto, at 15-18 percent.

Bank of Finland Governor Olli Rehn and Social Democratic European Union Commissioner Jutta Urpilainen are also among the other six candidates from across the political spectrum.

Nearly 45 percent of eligible voters, or 1.9 million Finns, voted in advance of Sunday, data from the Ministry of Justice showed. Partial results consisting of advance votes are expected soon after polls close at 8pm (18:00 GMT).

If no one emerges after the first round with more than 50 percent of the votes cast, a run-off election will be held between the first and second candidates on February 11.

AJAZEERA