Finland's Prime Minister Sanna Marin Concedes Defeat in Parliamentary Election.
In a stunning turn of events, Finland's Prime Minister Sanna Marin conceded defeat on Sunday, handing over power to her opponents from the National Coalition Party (NCP). The NCP emerged victorious, winning 48 seats in parliament, narrowly ahead of the nationalist Finns Party with 46 seats and Marin's Social Democrats on 43 seats.
NCP leader Petteri Orpo declared victory for his party, vowing to "fix Finland" and its economy. He attributed the win to the NCP's platform of reducing spending and curbing public debt, which had been a major concern for many Finns. Orpo also criticized Marin's government, saying it had eroded Finland's economic resilience at a time when Europe was facing an energy crisis.
Marin, who is 37 years old and had been the world's youngest prime minister since taking office in 2019, acknowledged that her party did not win the most seats but expressed pride over gaining support. However, she admitted that "we have gained more seats (in parliament). That's an excellent achievement, even if we did not finish first today."
The Finns Party, a nationalist group, had been a major thorn in Marin's side throughout her tenure, criticizing her party's stance on immigration and public spending. During the debate before the election, Marin called the Finns Party "openly racist." The accusation was rejected by the party.
With this outcome, Orpo will have the first chance to form a coalition with other parties to gain a majority in parliament. The NCP has promised to curb spending and reduce public debt, which had risen significantly during Marin's tenure.
Marin's Social Democrats may still govern, but they will not enter into an alliance with the Finns Party. The news marks the end of Marin's era as prime minister, who remains a popular figure among many Finns, particularly young moderates.
In a stunning turn of events, Finland's Prime Minister Sanna Marin conceded defeat on Sunday, handing over power to her opponents from the National Coalition Party (NCP). The NCP emerged victorious, winning 48 seats in parliament, narrowly ahead of the nationalist Finns Party with 46 seats and Marin's Social Democrats on 43 seats.
NCP leader Petteri Orpo declared victory for his party, vowing to "fix Finland" and its economy. He attributed the win to the NCP's platform of reducing spending and curbing public debt, which had been a major concern for many Finns. Orpo also criticized Marin's government, saying it had eroded Finland's economic resilience at a time when Europe was facing an energy crisis.
Marin, who is 37 years old and had been the world's youngest prime minister since taking office in 2019, acknowledged that her party did not win the most seats but expressed pride over gaining support. However, she admitted that "we have gained more seats (in parliament). That's an excellent achievement, even if we did not finish first today."
The Finns Party, a nationalist group, had been a major thorn in Marin's side throughout her tenure, criticizing her party's stance on immigration and public spending. During the debate before the election, Marin called the Finns Party "openly racist." The accusation was rejected by the party.
With this outcome, Orpo will have the first chance to form a coalition with other parties to gain a majority in parliament. The NCP has promised to curb spending and reduce public debt, which had risen significantly during Marin's tenure.
Marin's Social Democrats may still govern, but they will not enter into an alliance with the Finns Party. The news marks the end of Marin's era as prime minister, who remains a popular figure among many Finns, particularly young moderates.