Finnish PM Concedes Defeat, Right-Wing Party Wins Vote

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Facts

• Finland's left-wing Prime Minister Sanna Marin conceded defeat in the nation's parliamentary election on Sunday as the opposition right-wing National Coalition Party (NCP) claimed victory in a tightly fought contest.¹
• The NCP won 48 out of 200 parliamentary seats and 20.8% of the vote. While the right-wing populist Finns party took 46 seats and scored 20.1% of the vote, Marin's Social Democratic Party emerged as the third-largest party with 19.9% of the vote and 43 seats.²
• Since no party is in a position to form a government alone, NCP leader Petteri Orpo will reportedly get the first chance to lead negotiations and form a coalition to obtain a majority in parliament and, presumably, become prime minister.³
• Marin — the world's youngest prime minister when she took office in 2019 at age 34 — headed a coalition of five parties, all led by women.⁴
• Under Marin, Finland — which shares the longest EU border with Russia — moved away from neutrality and joined NATO in response to the invasion of Ukraine. The country officially becomes the military alliance's 31st member on Tuesday.⁵
• Meanwhile, Finland is grappling with a rising cost of living and energy crisis, with public debt reaching 71% of GDP as of the third quarter of 2022. The country's economy survived the pandemic, but growth slowed to 1.9% last year, while inflation peaked at 9.1%.⁶

Sources: ¹Al Jazeera, ²Guardian, ³Associated Press, ⁴CNBC, ⁵BBC News and ⁶Reuters.

Narratives

• Left narrative, as provided by Express.co.uk. Sanna Marin's defeat is the latest setback for the left amid a larger shift to conservative and nationalist parties across Europe. It also signals a power shift in Finland's political scene, as the nation is likely to get a new center-right government with an anti-immigration, anti-EU, and anti-climate action coalition partner. Europe must keep a close eye on Finland's far-right and try to understand why populists and the far-right are sweeping the elections.
• Right narrative, as provided by Spectator (UK). Though she was applauded for her response to Russia's war against Ukraine and Finland's bid to join NATO, Marin was primarily responsible for eroding the country's economic resilience. The global progressive icon's attempt to keep her coalition together at the cost of economic growth led to a sharp rise in the country's public debt. Meanwhile, her determination to exercise her right to party with Finnish celebrities at the peak of the energy crisis eventually dashed her hopes of a second term as prime minister.