The Finns were called to the polls on Sunday April 2 to elect their future Prime Minister. According to initial estimates, the center-right party is the winner of the legislative elections, slightly ahead of the far-right party, then the social democrats of Sanna Marin, who therefore loses his post as Prime Minister.
According to the projection of public broadcaster Yle, usually close to the final result, the National Coalition party of Petteri Orpo would obtain the most seats, with 48 deputies, ahead of the anti-immigration party of the Finns (46) and the SDP social democrat (43).
The leader of the center-right party of the National Coalition Petteri Orpo has already claimed his success. “It’s a big win,” the 53-year-old former minister said to cheers from supporters. “We are going to start negotiations for a government in Finland.” Mr Orpo had raced to the top of the polls during the campaign before seeing his lead dwindle in the final sprint.
Minimal deviations
The differences in votes would be even smaller, according to Yle’s estimates: 20.9% for the center-right, 20.3% for the far right and 19.7% for the social democrats.
The outgoing Prime Minister has called for the final results to be awaited. “Let’s wait for the end. I am very grateful to the people who voted en masse for the social democrats, ”she said in front of her rivals on the set of Yle.
All three parties are progressing from the last elections in 2019, with a record promised to the nationalists of the party of Finns. “It’s a projection, so let’s take it as such, but it’s a great result,” commented its manager Riikka Purra.
The party candidate who arrives first traditionally inherits the post of Prime Minister in Finland, provided that he can muster a majority in Parliament. Significant changes remain possible in the results allowing to designate the final winner, expected probably around midnight local time (11 p.m. Paris).