Finland's Prime Minister Sanna Marin conceded defeat in the country's parliamentary election on Sunday. The opposition National Coalition Party (NCP) claimed victory, winning 48 of the 200 seats in parliament, narrowly ahead of the nationalist Finns Party with 46 seats and Marin's Social Democrats on 43 seats.
The NCP leader, Petteri Orpo, declared that his party had the "biggest mandate" and vowed to "fix Finland" and its economy. He will get the first chance at forming a coalition to obtain majority in parliament, marking the end of Marin's era as prime minister.
Marin, 37, who is considered by fans around the globe as a millennial role model for progressive new leaders, faced criticism for her partying and government spending at home. Despite that, she remains popular among many Finns, particularly young moderates. However, she antagonized some conservatives with lavish spending on pensions and education.
The NCP's main goal is to reduce immigration from developing countries outside the European Union and curb deficit spending. Its leader, Petteri Orpo, accused Marin of eroding Finland's economic resilience at a time when Europe's energy crisis has hit the country hard.
Finland's Prime Minister Sanna Marin was one of the world's youngest prime ministers when she took office in 2019. She had pushed for NATO membership in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and nearly completed the accession process with Helsinki expected to join within days after all Western defense alliance members approved it.
Marin called the Finns Party "openly racist" during a debate, an accusation the nationalist group rejected. The NCP has promised to curb spending and stop the rise of public debt, which has reached just over 70% of GDP since Marin took office in 2019.
The NCP leader, Petteri Orpo, declared that his party had the "biggest mandate" and vowed to "fix Finland" and its economy. He will get the first chance at forming a coalition to obtain majority in parliament, marking the end of Marin's era as prime minister.
Marin, 37, who is considered by fans around the globe as a millennial role model for progressive new leaders, faced criticism for her partying and government spending at home. Despite that, she remains popular among many Finns, particularly young moderates. However, she antagonized some conservatives with lavish spending on pensions and education.
The NCP's main goal is to reduce immigration from developing countries outside the European Union and curb deficit spending. Its leader, Petteri Orpo, accused Marin of eroding Finland's economic resilience at a time when Europe's energy crisis has hit the country hard.
Finland's Prime Minister Sanna Marin was one of the world's youngest prime ministers when she took office in 2019. She had pushed for NATO membership in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and nearly completed the accession process with Helsinki expected to join within days after all Western defense alliance members approved it.
Marin called the Finns Party "openly racist" during a debate, an accusation the nationalist group rejected. The NCP has promised to curb spending and stop the rise of public debt, which has reached just over 70% of GDP since Marin took office in 2019.
Finland's parliamentary election and Sanna Marin's defeat is a bad omen for Europe 
. The NCP's promise to reduce immigration is scary as they have no idea how to manage the existing population with rising debt 
. It's also ironic that they're talking about fixing the economy when their own spending habits are questionable 
. And, what's with this 'openly racist' accusation? Marin's loss could lead to a toxic mix of nationalist and anti-immigrant policies in Finland 
. The future doesn't look bright for the EU's credibility on issues like human rights 
.
... one thing's for sure, it'll be interesting to see how petteri orpo does in his new role as prime minister 
Finland's politics just got a whole lot less progressive 
Sanna Marin's defeat is a major blow to the left-wing movement in Europe. I mean, who needs more free stuff and partying when you're struggling with energy crises? 
The NCP's win on reducing immigration isn't exactly going to boost Finland's economy 
. And what about all that debt accumulation under Marin's watch? 
Not good vibes, Finland 
I'm still trying to get used to the idea of Finland having a new government 
. Anyway, back to Finland... I wonder if Petteri Orpo is going to make any changes to the education system since he's all about reducing immigration and curbing deficit spending 
, i mean sanna marin was one of the youngest pm's in history and she had so much momentum behind her 
but it looks like finland's people wanted change and they went for the more conservative route 
. i'm worried about petteri orpo's promises tho, capping immigration is super problematic 
and debt reduction without hitting education & pensions... that sounds like a recipe for disaster 
. But it seems like people have had enough of her spending habits and partying lifestyle 
. I don't agree with Orpo's plan to reduce immigration from developing countries, but at the same time, I get why some people might feel that way about it 
. It'll be interesting to see how Marin handles this change in power and whether she can still make a difference as an opposition leader 
. Maybe she can use this time to reform her own party and become a more effective leader 
?
anyway i'm low-key glad petteri orpo took over he seems way more chill than marin ever was but like how can u be a politician and still drink wine at 2 am tho? 
and btw who's gonna make sure finland doesn't turn into a total oligarchy? 
And what about Marin's party, Social Democrats? They still got 43 seats, which is no joke 
.
I'm curious about how Petteri Orpo plans to address the immigration issue though, I think that's a super sensitive topic... can't wait to see how things play out! 
i mean i know she's still a total boss, but u know how it is... she's always been like the ultimate goal for me and my squad 
anywayz, petteri orpo seems like a whole different kinda leader, more like the type we need in finland atm 
. It shows that Finns are willing to take a stance on this issue, but also makes me wonder what will happen next. Will they be able to form a coalition and implement these changes? 
Also, I feel bad for Marin, she was doing so well at such a young age 
. The NCP's promise to curb immigration and deficit spending sounds like a classic case of "not breaking the bank" 
. Marin may have lost this battle, but I'm still proud of her for pushing for NATO membership 
. Let's see if Orpo can deliver on his promises...