Finland's Prime Minister Sanna Marin has conceded defeat in Sunday's parliamentary election, with the opposition National Coalition Party (NCP) claiming victory. The NCP is expected to win 48 of the 200 seats in parliament, narrowly ahead of the nationalist Finns Party and Marin's Social Democrats.
Marin, 37, was seen as a millennial role model for progressive new leaders around the world but has faced criticism at home due to her partying and government spending. The NCP's main goal is to reduce immigration from developing countries outside the European Union and curb deficit spending, which it says will help fix Finland's economy.
NCP leader Petteri Orpo vowed to "fix Finland" and its economy in his victory speech, stating that he has gained a "biggest mandate". Marin conceded defeat, saying that her Social Democrats may govern with the NCP but will not go into government with the Finns Party. The Finns Party's main goal is also to reduce immigration and curb spending.
Finland's decision to join NATO in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine has been a major focus for Marin during her term as Prime Minister. The country's accession process is now almost complete, with Helsinki expected to join within days after all 30 members of the Western defense alliance approved the accession.
Marin's government has faced criticism over lavish spending on pensions and education, which some conservatives see as too extravagant. However, she remains popular among many Finns, particularly young moderates.
Marin, 37, was seen as a millennial role model for progressive new leaders around the world but has faced criticism at home due to her partying and government spending. The NCP's main goal is to reduce immigration from developing countries outside the European Union and curb deficit spending, which it says will help fix Finland's economy.
NCP leader Petteri Orpo vowed to "fix Finland" and its economy in his victory speech, stating that he has gained a "biggest mandate". Marin conceded defeat, saying that her Social Democrats may govern with the NCP but will not go into government with the Finns Party. The Finns Party's main goal is also to reduce immigration and curb spending.
Finland's decision to join NATO in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine has been a major focus for Marin during her term as Prime Minister. The country's accession process is now almost complete, with Helsinki expected to join within days after all 30 members of the Western defense alliance approved the accession.
Marin's government has faced criticism over lavish spending on pensions and education, which some conservatives see as too extravagant. However, she remains popular among many Finns, particularly young moderates.
... Finland's been so vocal about joining NATO, but it seems like that wasn't enough to sway the votes in her favor 
. I think it's interesting how both NCP and Finns Party are pushing for reduced immigration - what's their plan for addressing the skills gap, though? 
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for being fiscally responsible, but there needs to be a balanced approach here... and on another note, I wonder how this new gov'll affect Finland's relationship with Russia 
. Either way, it's interesting to see how a new government will shake things up in Finland. The NCP's stance on immigration and spending could be an interesting dynamic, especially with the Finns Party trying to make a similar play for power. Guess we'll just have to wait and see how this all plays out - I'm not exactly holding my breath 
. I mean, who needs more experience in politics when you're still a 37-year-old with a partying reputation? It's about time someone shakes things up in Finland 
. The NCP's stance on immigration and deficit spending sounds like exactly what Finland needs - more of the same old thing to fix their economy 
. And let's be real, Petteri Orpo's "biggest mandate" speech was way more convincing than Marin's 
. I'm not buying into the whole "Finland's economy is broken" narrative either - it's just an excuse for some politicians to take control and make more drastic changes 
. Bring on the Finns Party, maybe they'll finally fix Finland's problems 
. Personally, I think the NCP's stance on reducing immigration and deficit spending is quite reasonable, especially with Finland's economy in a bit of a mess 
.
. And I'm glad she's ruled out going into government with the Finns Party - that would've been a messy coalition 
. Now, the real challenge begins for Petteri Orpo and his NCP - can they really "fix Finland" as they promised? 
... was thinking about finland's future and joining nato... feels like a big step for the country 
but at what cost? i mean marin's partying stuff was always a joke 
but also kinda worried about her gov spending being too wild 
doesn't feel right when you're in a budget crisis. anyway, it looks like petteri orpo is taking the reins now and his plan sounds pretty standard fare... can we expect some conservative reforms? 
i just hope finland's youth aren't gonna get lost in the shuffle 
just saw this news about finland's election and gotta say, not surprised. marin was always a polarizing figure and the NCP seemed to be gaining momentum from what i've been hearing online 
anyway, congrats to petteri orpo on his victory and hopefully he'll actually manage to "fix finland" like he said 
! I'm so hyped about the NCP winning, they're gonna shake things up big time 
. Marin's term was all about NATO and now it's done 
, Helsinki's joining within days, so exciting! 
But I gotta say, I'm a bit sad that Marin lost her vibe as PM 
. She was so cool and fresh, like the future of leadership 
. Still, Finland needs some change and Orpo's got the right team behind him 
.
. I gotta say, I'm kinda surprised they got so much support with their hardline stance on immigration and deficit spending. Marin was always a bit of a wild card for me, all that partying and government spending didn't exactly scream "stability" 
.
. still, 48 seats is a big chunk of change for the NCP, and I'm curious to see how they plan on tackling immigration and the economy. but at the same time, I feel like we're gonna see more of the same old stuff... the Finns Party's been vocal about reducing spending, but that sounds like code for "cutting social programs" 
.
. I gotta say, it's interesting to see how Sanna Marin's reign came to an end - she was a total trailblazer for millennial leaders worldwide 
. Now it looks like Petteri Orpo is taking the reins and promising to "fix Finland" 
. Both the NCP and Finns Party seem to be going after the same issues, which I think is a pretty safe bet for their voters 
. Only time will tell what's next for Finland and its new government 
.
. Her generation is all about change and progress, but perhaps that's exactly what's being met with resistance from those who prefer the status quo 
sanna marin was like the ultimate millennial leader but her partying habits & govt spending did catch up with her 
their goal of reducing immigration & cutting deficit spending sounds pretty reasonable imo 
hope petteri orpo can live up to his promise tho 
. It’s also kinda sad that Marin and her Social Democrats won’t be working with the Finns Party, who share similar views on immigration... I don’t know if it changes much in practice, though