Finland's Prime Minister Sanna Marin has conceded defeat in the country's parliamentary election, marking the end of her era as prime minister. The opposition National Coalition Party (NCP) claimed victory, winning 48 seats in parliament and narrowly ahead of the nationalist Finns Party with 46 seats.
Marin's Social Democrats, on the other hand, secured 43 seats. Marin, who is just 37 years old, was seen as a millennial role model for progressive new leaders around the world but has faced criticism at home for her partying and government spending.
The NCP leader Petteri Orpo promised to "fix Finland" and its economy in his victory speech, vowing to curb spending and stop the rise of public debt. He will now have the first chance at forming a coalition to obtain majority in parliament.
Marin herself acknowledged that her party had gained support but not won the election. She vowed that her Social Democrats would govern with the NCP but said they would not go into government with the Finns Party, which Marin has called "openly racist".
The Finns Party's main goal is to reduce immigration from developing countries outside the European Union and implement austerity policies to curb deficit spending.
Marin's foreign policy actions have been notable, particularly her push for NATO membership in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. That process is now almost complete, with Helsinki expected to join within days after all 30 members of the Western defense alliance approved the accession.
Finland's decision to join NATO has been seen as a significant shift by many observers and will likely have implications for the country's relations with its neighbors and Russia.
Marin's Social Democrats, on the other hand, secured 43 seats. Marin, who is just 37 years old, was seen as a millennial role model for progressive new leaders around the world but has faced criticism at home for her partying and government spending.
The NCP leader Petteri Orpo promised to "fix Finland" and its economy in his victory speech, vowing to curb spending and stop the rise of public debt. He will now have the first chance at forming a coalition to obtain majority in parliament.
Marin herself acknowledged that her party had gained support but not won the election. She vowed that her Social Democrats would govern with the NCP but said they would not go into government with the Finns Party, which Marin has called "openly racist".
The Finns Party's main goal is to reduce immigration from developing countries outside the European Union and implement austerity policies to curb deficit spending.
Marin's foreign policy actions have been notable, particularly her push for NATO membership in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. That process is now almost complete, with Helsinki expected to join within days after all 30 members of the Western defense alliance approved the accession.
Finland's decision to join NATO has been seen as a significant shift by many observers and will likely have implications for the country's relations with its neighbors and Russia.
so like, it's over for sanna marin now... 37 years old already conceding defeat lol. i feel bad for her, she was like a role model for young progressive leaders worldwide 
. but i guess finland is all about change right? the opposition party won and promised to fix stuff like economy and public debt 
. will be interesting to see how they do with forming a coalition 
. btw, marin's not going to deal with the finns party because they're "openly racist"... that's some serious drama 
. but on the bright side, finland is joining nato which is like a big deal geopolitically 
. can't wait to see how it all plays out 
so i think sanna marin is being kinda hard on herself, she did a great job leading finland through a tough time especially with russia's invasion 
. maybe she'll come back stronger next time? 
. but, on the flip side, the finns party is being kinda harsh on immigrants 
. maybe they should think about how that affects people's lives? 
. i'm sure it'll have some impact on their relationships with russia and other countries 
. anyway, petteri orpo from the national coalition party seems to be in charge now and he's all about fixing finland's economy and curbing public debt 
. on the flip side, sanna marin is already talking about forming an alliance with the ncp instead, which might lead to some interesting policy decisions 
.
... think Petteri Orpo's gonna struggle to "fix" things 
we need leaders who think about people, not just numbers 
she was the millennial voice for progressive change 
... still rooting for her party to work with NCP 
maybe they can bring some change after all 
hope Orpo knows how to navigate this 
i guess u can't win 'em all tho! anyway, i'm low-key stoked about finlands joining nato its gonna b intresting 2 see how russia reacts 
! Sanna Marin's era is coming to an end and it's like, totally understandable why she lost 
as a leader? That's amazing! 
But I feel bad for her party too... all that partying and spending drama 
. Anyway, Petteri Orpo is like, super promising to fix Finland's economy 
!
. Maybe she'll come back stronger next time? 
. But I guess the Finns just weren't feeling her vibe 
.
. I'm low-key excited for some new leadership tho 
her party the Social Democrats got 43 seats but not enough to win 
btw, I just found this stat that shows Finland's public debt has been increasing since 2010 and now its like over 50% of GDP 
did u know that Finland's population is only around 5.5 million? 
The election outcome in Finland is a sobering reminder that even progressive governments can face scrutiny from their own constituents 
. Her decision to form an uneasy coalition with the National Coalition Party (NCP) could be seen as a pragmatic response to maintain power, but it also raises questions about the sustainability of their joint policies 
. His vow to address public debt and deficit spending is a welcome change from Marin's government, but it remains to be seen how effective he will be in implementing these policies 
. And honestly, who can blame Sanna for not wanting to work with them? 
.
... like, what even is that? And the fact that he called out Marin for calling the Finns Party "openly racist" kinda backfires in my opinion 
... it's just so petty.
... I mean, it's about time they took a stand against Russia and all that drama 
. The implications are gonna be huge, especially with the country's relations with its neighbors 
️ economy & public debt are gonna be major issues for him & his gov. btw, i'm curious about the foreign policy implications of joining nato... it's cool that they pushed through with membership tho