CNN
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Finland’s left-wing Prime Minister Sanna Marin on Sunday conceded defeat in the Nordic country’s parliamentary elections, with the right-wing opposition National Coalition Party (NCP) claiming victory in a closely contested election.
The pro-business NCP is expected to win 48 of the 200 seats in parliament, narrowly ahead of the nationalist Finns Party with 46 seats and Marin’s Social Democrats with 43 seats, according to Justice Ministry election data, with all ballots counted.
“We have won the most important mandate,” NCP leader Petteri Orpo said in a speech to supporters, pledging to “repair Finland” and its economy.
He will have the first chance to form a coalition to secure a majority in parliament as Marin’s era as prime minister is set to end.
“We have gained support, we have gained more seats (in parliament). It is a great achievement, even if we did not finish first today,” the prime minister said in a speech to party members.
Marin, 37, the world’s youngest prime minister when she took office in 2019, is seen by her fans around the world as a millennial role model for progressive new leaders, but at home she has been criticized for her partying and government spending.
Although she remains popular with many Finns, especially among young moderates, she has irked some conservatives with lavish spending on pensions and education that they see as not frugal enough.
The NCP has led the polls for nearly two years, although its lead has waned in recent months. It has promised to cut spending and halt the rise in public debt, which has reached just over 70% of GDP since Marin came to power in 2019.
Orpo accused Marin of eroding Finland’s economic resilience at a time when Europe’s energy crisis, fuelled by Russia’s war in Ukraine, has hit the country hard and the cost of living has risen.
Orpo said he would negotiate with all groups to gain a majority in parliament, while Marin said his Social Democrats could govern with the NCP but would not enter government with the Finns Party.
During a debate in January, Marin called the Finns Party “openly racist” – a charge the nationalist group rejected.
The Finns Party’s main goal is to reduce “harmful” immigration from developing countries outside the European Union, according to its leader Riikka Purra. It also calls for austerity policies to limit the budget deficit, a position it shares with the NCP.
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Who is Sanna Marin? (2019)
Marin’s most notable foreign policy action was his willingness, together with President Sauli Niinisto, to push the country to take a decisive political turn by applying for NATO membership following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
That process is now almost complete, with Helsinki set to join NATO in the coming days after all 30 members of the Western defence alliance approved membership.
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