Finland's left-wing Prime Minister Sanna Marin has conceded defeat in the country's parliamentary election, giving the opposition right-wing National Coalition Party (NCP) a majority. The NCP won 48 seats, narrowly ahead of the nationalist Finns Party with 46 seats and Marin's Social Democrats on 43 seats, according to election data.
In her concession speech, Marin acknowledged that her party did not win the most seats but said it had gained more support and seats in parliament. She expressed confidence that her party could govern effectively even without a majority.
The NCP leader Petteri Orpo promised to "fix Finland" and its economy, vowing to curb spending and stop the rise of public debt. He will get the first chance at forming a coalition government, which is expected to be formed in the coming days.
Marin's Social Democrats had been criticized for lavish spending on pensions and education, issues that Orpo targeted during his campaign. Marin remains popular among young moderates but has faced criticism from conservatives who see her as too radical.
The Finns Party, meanwhile, has campaigned on a platform of reducing immigration from developing countries outside the European Union and implementing austerity measures to curb deficit spending. The party's leader Riikka Purra has called for tougher border controls and stricter regulations on public spending.
Marin, 37, is considered one of five young women leading major political parties in Finland. She took office as prime minister at just 34 years old in 2019 and had been seen as a millennial role model for progressive new leaders. However, her government has faced criticism for its handling of issues such as public spending and immigration.
Finland's decision to seek NATO membership after Russia's invasion of Ukraine is also seen as a significant foreign policy achievement under Marin's leadership. The country is now expected to join the alliance within days, following approval from all 30 members.
In her concession speech, Marin acknowledged that her party did not win the most seats but said it had gained more support and seats in parliament. She expressed confidence that her party could govern effectively even without a majority.
The NCP leader Petteri Orpo promised to "fix Finland" and its economy, vowing to curb spending and stop the rise of public debt. He will get the first chance at forming a coalition government, which is expected to be formed in the coming days.
Marin's Social Democrats had been criticized for lavish spending on pensions and education, issues that Orpo targeted during his campaign. Marin remains popular among young moderates but has faced criticism from conservatives who see her as too radical.
The Finns Party, meanwhile, has campaigned on a platform of reducing immigration from developing countries outside the European Union and implementing austerity measures to curb deficit spending. The party's leader Riikka Purra has called for tougher border controls and stricter regulations on public spending.
Marin, 37, is considered one of five young women leading major political parties in Finland. She took office as prime minister at just 34 years old in 2019 and had been seen as a millennial role model for progressive new leaders. However, her government has faced criticism for its handling of issues such as public spending and immigration.
Finland's decision to seek NATO membership after Russia's invasion of Ukraine is also seen as a significant foreign policy achievement under Marin's leadership. The country is now expected to join the alliance within days, following approval from all 30 members.
what's going on with Finland's politics 
? One minute you've got Sanna Marin and her Social Democrats in charge, and the next she's conceded defeat 
. I'm kinda disappointed, too – I loved seeing a young leader like Marin making waves in European politics 
. But hey, Petteri Orpo is promising to "fix" things, which sounds pretty bold 
. I hope he delivers on that promise 
. And speaking of promises, what's going to happen to Finland's economy now? 
Finland just went through a big shift in gov't and I'm kinda worried about what this means for their future 
. Sanna Marin was a super young PM, only 34 when she took office, but now it looks like the right-wing NCP party is taking over with Petteri Orpo at the helm 
. I'm not sure if they'll be able to fix Finland's economy and reduce public debt as he promised 
. Marin was all about progressive policies and being a millennial role model for young leaders, but it looks like her ideas aren't resonating with everyone 
.
. One thing's for sure, it's gonna be interesting to watch how this plays out 
. Still, she's got a lot of young supporters and that's something to hold onto. The NCP's Petteri Orpo is gonna have a tough time fixing Finland's economy though... he's on record saying he wants to cut spending and curb public debt 
. And let's not forget, Sanna's been making waves with Finland's NATO membership bid 
. Not a bad legacy for someone who took office at 34! 
but it seems like her party didn't quite get the most seats... 43 is still a lot of votes though, right? 
and now it looks like Petteri Orpo is gonna try to "fix" things, lol what does that even mean? 
... fingers crossed they're ready for whatever comes next 
anyway im thinkin the ncp gonna screw up finland big time orpo sounds like some kinda libertarian who just wanna cut everythin & see people suffer 
at least marins party got some poplar support so they can try 2 fix stuff from their side too 