- Conservative leader Petteri Orpo is set to become the new Finnish prime minister after edging out a win against Sanna Marin
- Marin conceded defeat on Sunday to the 53-year-old lawmaker
- Orpo focused his election campaign on Finland's finances
Conservative leader Petteri Orpo is set to become the new Finnish prime minister after winning against the Social Democrats' Sanna Marin, who conceded her defeat on Sunday.
While Orpo may not be the most exciting prospect to take on Finland's political landscape, his calm demeanor and insistence on budget austerity had shored enough support to win the vote.
Petteri Orpo Set To Become Finland's New Prime Minister
The conservative leader was first elected to Finland's parliament in 2007 and previously served as a finance, interior, and agriculture minister. He was raised in southwestern Finland and first became entangled with student politics while studying economics at university.
He got so into it that he took 12 years to graduate with a master's degree in political science with a major in economics. Orpo kept his focus firmly on Finland's finances throughout his election campaign. He argued that it was an issue that his rival, Marin, had neglected, as per France24.
During an interview before the vote, Orpo said that the most crucial thing that the National Coalition, which he is a part of, wants to change in Finland is to stop increasing debt. However, the conservative leader's focus on the budget could cause concern for some in Brussels as Finland is already one of the more "frugal" countries in the EU.
Orpo is seen as a pragmatic leader who will take time to listen and is looking to be inclusive. In 2016, he took over leadership of the party after beating former Prime Minister Alexander Stubb, who lost an election the prior year.
Many see the conservative leader as amiable and calm, in parallel with how his father was in the conservative party. This was so much the case that many have wondered how the father of two teenagers could have lasted so long in the fiery world of politics.
Sanna Marin Concedes Defeat in Sunday Vote
Marin conceded her defeat when 99% of the votes had been counted, showing the National Coalition secured 48 of the country's 200 parliamentary seats. This pushed the prime minister's party into third place with 43 seats. The second place was the far-right Finns Party which had 46 seats, according to Politico.
The prime minister's defeat marks the latest blow for the left of the region as Germany's Olaf Scholz is facing mounting pressure at home. Sweden's Magdalena Andersson was voted during a general election held in September last year.
Marin focused her campaign on pushing a traditional left-leaning agenda in the run-up to the vote on Sunday. She railed against proposed public spending cuts championed by the center-right and called on the public to support fiscal investments that she claimed would result in greater employment and economic growth.
In a speech to his followers after the Sunday vote, Orpo said that they got the biggest mandate and vowed to "fix Finland" and its economy. On the other hand, Marin said that they had gained support and more seats in parliament despite not finishing first in the election, said CNN.
Related Article : Antony Blinken Calls for Release of US Journalist in Russia
