Finland's First Presidential Election After NATO Accession... Focus on Diplomatic Power Toward Russia

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

The Finnish presidential election will be held on the 28th (local time). This is the first presidential election since Finland joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) last year, which heightened tensions with Russia. All leading candidates hold critical views of Russia, so this election is focused on their qualifications as leaders in foreign policy.

According to foreign news agencies such as AP and AFP, among the nine candidates running for president, former Prime Minister Alexander Stubb (55) and former Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto (65) are leading in the polls.

In a poll conducted by Finland's public broadcaster YLE, former Prime Minister Stubb recorded 27% support, while former Minister Haavisto received 23%. If no candidate wins a majority in this vote, a runoff election will be held on the 11th of next month.

Stubb currently belongs to the center-right National Coalition Party, which leads the coalition government. He served as prime minister from 2014 to 2015 and has held positions as finance minister, foreign minister, member of the European Parliament, and vice president of the European Investment Bank.

Green Party politician Haavisto served as foreign minister from 2019 until June of last year and played a key role in Finland's accession to NATO. This is his third presidential run, following campaigns in 2012 and 2018.

Jussi Halla-aho (52), chairman of the far-right Finns Party, which ranks third in the polls, may also advance to the runoff. Advocating anti-immigration policies, he gained popular support through a blog containing messages of racism and misogyny.

All candidates likely to advance to the runoff, regardless of left or right, hold critical views of Russia. Finland, which shares a 1,340 km border with Russia, abandoned its neutral stance and joined NATO in April last year after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. Since then, Finland has continued to confront Russia, which closed border checkpoints citing refugee pushbacks.