Finland's Prime Minister Sanna Marin has conceded defeat in the country's parliamentary election, marking the end of her era as head of government. The opposition National Coalition Party (NCP) claimed victory in a tightly fought contest, winning 48 out of 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 vowed to "fix Finland" and its economy, promising to curb spending and stop the rise of public debt. Orpo will have the first chance at forming a coalition to obtain a majority in parliament, bringing an end to Marin's time as prime minister. In her concession speech, Marin acknowledged that her party had gained support and more seats, but did not finish first in the election.
Marin, 37, was the world's youngest prime minister when she took office in 2019. Despite being a progressive leader, she faced criticism at home for her partying and government spending on pensions and education. The NCP has campaigned on reducing immigration from developing countries outside the European Union and implementing austerity policies to curb deficit spending.
The Finns Party's main goal is to address what its leader Riikka Purra calls "harmful" immigration, as well as implement cost-cutting measures. The party's stance on immigration and spending cuts aligns with those of the NCP. Marin has faced criticism for her handling of Finland's economic resilience during Europe's energy crisis and rising cost of living.
As Marin steps aside, Orpo will negotiate with all groups to secure a majority in parliament. Marin's Social Democrats may govern with the NCP but have ruled out forming a coalition with the Finns Party. The Finns Party has accused Marin of being "openly racist" during a debate in January, which Marin denies.
Finland is expected to join NATO in the coming days after Helsinki completed the accession process. This marks a significant foreign policy achievement for Marin, who had pushed for Finland's membership in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The NCP leader Petteri Orpo vowed to "fix Finland" and its economy, promising to curb spending and stop the rise of public debt. Orpo will have the first chance at forming a coalition to obtain a majority in parliament, bringing an end to Marin's time as prime minister. In her concession speech, Marin acknowledged that her party had gained support and more seats, but did not finish first in the election.
Marin, 37, was the world's youngest prime minister when she took office in 2019. Despite being a progressive leader, she faced criticism at home for her partying and government spending on pensions and education. The NCP has campaigned on reducing immigration from developing countries outside the European Union and implementing austerity policies to curb deficit spending.
The Finns Party's main goal is to address what its leader Riikka Purra calls "harmful" immigration, as well as implement cost-cutting measures. The party's stance on immigration and spending cuts aligns with those of the NCP. Marin has faced criticism for her handling of Finland's economic resilience during Europe's energy crisis and rising cost of living.
As Marin steps aside, Orpo will negotiate with all groups to secure a majority in parliament. Marin's Social Democrats may govern with the NCP but have ruled out forming a coalition with the Finns Party. The Finns Party has accused Marin of being "openly racist" during a debate in January, which Marin denies.
Finland is expected to join NATO in the coming days after Helsinki completed the accession process. This marks a significant foreign policy achievement for Marin, who had pushed for Finland's membership in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
I'm so sad to see Sanna Marin go 
. She was such a strong leader and I loved her progressive vibes 
. But it's clear that the Finns are ready for a change 
. Petteri Orpo seems like a pretty standard politician, but let's hope he can do better than Marin on the economy 
. Finland joining NATO is a big win though 
, and I'm glad she pushed for that! 
. The NCP's stance seems kinda extreme to me 
.
i mean, 48 out of 200 seats is impressive but it's still a lot of work ahead for him and the NCP party. i'm also curious to see how Marin handles her departure from politics - she was so young when she took office but had some tough decisions to make during her time as PM. 
. can't believe she got ousted like this tho, all these scandals around her partying and spending... 
. NCP is gonna bring some austerity vibes to Finland, hope they actually do something about the economy 
. but Finland joining NATO? yeah that's a no-brainer 
, Marin was all for it after Ukraine crisis. gotta respect her for pushing for this 
Can't say I'm stoked about that. Marin's time as PM is over, and now we'll have to see what kind of leader Orpo turns out to be. 
One thing for sure, Finland's joining NATO next, so that's a pretty clear direction they're heading in... 
? Finland needs more than just austerity measures to tackle its issues - it needs a solid plan for economic growth and social welfare too 
, couldn't hold onto power despite being a progressive leader 
.
?
.
, and the opposition ncp took the lead by a hair 
. it seems like petteri orpo is gonna try to fix finland's economy and reduce public debt 
, even if she didn't win first place in the election. it's been an interesting ride for her as the world's youngest prime minister 
. i wonder how she'll transition out of politics now that she's stepping aside 
.
Petteri Orpo says he's gonna "fix" Finland's economy & cut public debt - sounds like they're talkin' more austerity policies which is kinda lame 
and gov spending on pensions & education. The NCP is all about immigration cuts & cost-cutting measures... sounds like they're just echoing the Finns Party's views 
Can someone explain it in simple terms? Like, who cares about all those seats and stuff?