Finland's Legislative Elections Could Lead to Shift to Right
(MENAFN) Finland is set to hold legislative elections on Sunday, with the possibility of a significant shift to the right as center-right and anti-immigration parties challenge Social Democratic Prime Minister Sanna Marin's leadership. This comes after nationalist parties have gained momentum in neighboring Sweden, and the far-right scored a victory in Italy last year. If the trend continues, Finland could join the wave of nationalist movements in Europe.
The polls indicate that the right-wing Political trend in Finland is gaining momentum, according to Juho Rahkonen from the E2 research institute. The biggest of the eight main parties in parliament traditionally gets the first chance to form a government. Since the 1990s, that party has always claimed the prime minister's office.
The center-right National Coalition is currently leading the polls with a narrow margin of 19.8 percent. The nationalist euroskeptic Finns Party is in second place with 19.5 percent, while the Social Democratic Party (SDP) led by Prime Minister Sanna Marin is in third place with 18.7 percent. Marin, who became the world's youngest prime minister in 2019 at age 34, remains popular in polls but faces challenges in converting her popularity into SDP seats in parliament.
Marin remains optimistic, saying that her party aims to win the election and continue its work for a more sustainable future. However, the more right-wing parties appear to be gaining strength, and there is a possibility that they could unseat Marin.
The election comes just days before Finland's formal accession to the NATO defense alliance, following the ratification of the country's membership bid by Turkiye on Thursday. The election outcome could have implications for Finland's foreign policy and its relationship with NATO.
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