Upheaval in Finland

Ex-Prime Minister Stubb wins presidential election

Alexander Stubb promises: "Politically, there will be no relations with the Russian president or Russia's political leadership until they end the war in Ukraine."(Bild: APA/AFP/Lehtikuva/Emmi Korhonen)

The Finnish presidency remains in conservative hands. In the presidential election on Sunday, former Prime Minister Alexander Stubb (55) prevailed against Green politician Pekka Haavisto (65). After almost all votes had been counted, Stubb achieved 51.7 percent and former foreign minister Haavisto 48.3 percent. This was the third time he had failed, having lost to Sauli Niinistö in 2014 and 2019. The conservative incumbent was not allowed to run again.

"The only thing I can think about now is gratitude. This is a great victory for democracy in Finland, I am extremely proud of all Finns who voted," said Stubb on election night. Haavisto had previously congratulated him on his election victory.

Although Stubb had received the most votes in the first round on January 28, he had not emerged as the clear winner. Polls showed him as the clear favorite going into the run-off, but his lead dwindled in the final days before the ballot. Nevertheless, it was not enough for Haavisto to win. Some Finnish voters rejected him because of his open homosexuality.

Stubb will take office on March 1. In the first round of voting, he had already defeated several heavyweights in Finnish politics such as the right-wing populist parliamentary speaker Jussi Halla-aho and the former EU Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn.

First election since Finland joined NATO
This was the first election since Finland joined NATO. The incumbent Niinistö had long pursued a diplomatic foreign policy, particularly towards neighboring Russia, as has been customary in Finland for decades. Because of his initially good relations with President Vladimir Putin, he was nicknamed the "Putin whisperer". However, in response to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, Niinistö led his country out of its traditional non-aligned status and into NATO. As foreign minister at the time, Haavisto played a central role. The Green politician signed the NATO accession document in April 2023.

Tough stance against Russia
During the election campaign, all candidates for the presidency announced a tough stance against the government in Moscow. Stubb recently told the Reuters news agency in an interview: "Politically, there will be no relations with the Russian president or Russia's political leadership until they end the war in Ukraine." The 55-year-old is in favor of deeper integration into NATO, which could also include the stationing of alliance troops in Finland. However, he rejects the storage of nuclear weapons. Former Foreign Minister Haavisto was more cautious and described a NATO contingent in Finland as unnecessary.

The head of state in Finland has more extensive executive powers than, for example, the Austrian Federal President. For example, the Finnish president manages foreign and security policy in close cooperation with the government, represents the country at NATO meetings and is commander-in-chief of the armed forces.